


"NO ONE WILL BELIEVE YOU."

by artsycatnip



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Other, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, and unenthusiastic consent, finally figured out how to tag this lmfao, past abuse is implied from maxwil NOT from wx and wilson, rape tag for sexual harrassment, wilson and wx have a previous relationship (non romantic) prior to the events of this fic, wxson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:40:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 65,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28036314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsycatnip/pseuds/artsycatnip
Summary: There's always tension between Wx78 and Wilson, but Wilson has no idea what he did to them to deserve it. They intend on making it very clear to him.
Relationships: Maxwell & Wilson (Don't Starve), Willow & Wilson (Don't Starve), Wilson/WX-78 (Don't Starve), Winona & WX-78
Comments: 40
Kudos: 73





	1. Rainy nights and electric fights

**Author's Note:**

> Wx-78 gets caught in the rain, Wilson was going to help but Wx thought they would take whatever they wanted instead. Wilson gets upset and wants to take revenge, but that's not so easy to do to a killer robot.  
> \--  
> For warnings there's electrocution and choking in this, as well as a character forcing themselves on another with the goal to make them uncomfortable. Proceed with Caution.  
> this is my first nsfw fanfic so I hope it's okay, enjoy!  
> WE ADDING CHAPTERS AND TURNING THIS INTO ENEMIES TO LOVERS MY FELLOW THEY/THEMS

WX was in an unfortunate circumstance.. The rain was coming down hard and they already felt like they were going insane from being struck by lightning, they sprinted down the cobblestone path towards the camp. Everything stung, every little raindrop felt like a needle, the ONE time they forgot to bring their umbrella to go berry picking, it was supposed to be a CALM day! They saw the camp coming up quickly and perked up, immediately hiding out under one of the lean-to’s that the others had forgotten to put away for fall. They shivered and relaxed now that they were out of the rain, and realized how quiet it was.

“HELLO?” they called out, but no one answered, they soon realized that they had spent more time outside than they initially thought. Of course they wouldn't notice how dark it was when the light emitting from their body was so intense. Wx sighed and stayed under the lean-to for a bit longer, not wanting to get out into the rain… and not knowing if the tents were all occupied anyways, they sat miserably under the lean-to, with their knees up to their chest. 

A few minutes passed before Wx heard someone suck their teeth aggravatedly and open their tent flap.

“Ok who put the lanterns closer to the tents-” Wilson started before he noticed Wx. “Oh. Sorry, didn’t know it was you” he finished.

“NO, DON’T OFFER YOUR HELP OR ANYTHING  _ GENTLEMAN _ .” 

“What do you want me to do about this? Don’t you have an umbrella?”

“IF I HAD ONE WOULD I NOT BE USING IT?” Wx said, almost growling at the ignorance of the scientist. Wilson sighed and knew that Wx would complain to everyone if he didn’t help them out in some way. Rolling his eyes he put on his rain hat and raincoat. 

“Wait here, I’ll go find you the materials for an umbrella.”

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST GIVE ME WHAT YOU’RE WEARING?”

“What? No! You’ll just use them up all night and then I’ll have to remake them.”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS, I CAN LITERALLY DIE TO WATER BUT YOU’RE THAT SELFISH? YOU FLESHLINGS ARE SOMETHING ELSE.” Wilson blushed a bit in embarrassment.. They did have a point, but he already had it on.

“I’ll make you your own things, it will be better!”

“NO. I WANT IT NOW, GIVE ME WHAT YOU’RE WEARING.”

“Wx! No! I said I will go make you your own!” Wilson huffed indignantly, honestly how entitled could one robot be? Wx in turn got huffy themselves, something about Wilson pretending to be nice when he could just resolve the problem right there got Wx extra angry, they suddenly jumped out of the lean-to and grabbed onto Wilson’s raincoat and hat, tugging them off of him. 

“HEY! Stop that! I told you, you CAN’T have these!”

“WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT HAVE, I CAN TAKE WHATEVER I PLEASE MEATBRAIN.” Wx said, easily overpowering Wilson and taking his stuff.

“Brr, oh FINE, buzz off then! Have fun out in the rain you miserable robot.” Wilson said to them, then started to return to his tent. Wx perked up.

“ACTUALLY… A TENT WOULD KEEP ME OUT OF THE ELEMENTS MUCH BETTER WOULDN’T IT.” they maliciously smirked as they rushed past Wilson into his tent. They poked their head out, as Wilson stared at them with his jaw dropped, and stuck out a mechanical tongue. 

“FINDERS KEEPERS.” Wx said with a devilish smile while Wilson stood out in the rain without his raincoat or hat, he balled up his fists and took one of the lanterns, immediately rushing off to the storage area and fetching his rubber gloves as well as… one of his more volatile weapons, one that he knew Wx wouldn’t like very much. 

He returned to his tent, now a little damp, and opened the flaps to a confused Wx. 

“I THOUGHT I RELIEVED YOU OF YOUR BELONGINGS.” they said nonchalantly. 

“Oh yes, thanks for that, I just wanted to repay you.” Wilson smirked as he held what looked like a morning star in his hand, but the star was attached to a whip, a fascinating, yet dangerous to handle, weapon. The star glowed on the walls of the tent, the faint light from the lantern outside barely illuminating the inside. Wx and Wilson stared each other down.

“IS THIS SUPPOSED TO FRIGHTEN ME? WHAT A USELESS WEAPON, ANOTHER FAILED INVENTION FROM THE HALF BAKED SCIENTIST, I DON’T THINK YOU EVEN HAVE A DEGREE.” Wx smirked as they crossed their legs. But Wilson had heard enough, he cracked his star whip and hit Wx straight in their chest, electrocuting them with a loud spark. 

“ERRRR-RRR ORRR PAIN DE TTECTED, REMOVE SOURCE OF PAIN!!” their program cried out automatically. This delighted Wilson, not only because it meant that his invention worked, but also that he would get his revenge…

“Oh, what was that? A useless weapon? I suppose it won’t hurt if I try it again then, correct?” Wilson walked himself further into the tent. It wasn’t a very big tent, so Wx was already backed up against the wall. 

“S-STOP, THAT WAS UNPLEASANT!” Wx pleaded, though they didn’t seem very apologetic to Wilson.

“I don’t know, do you admit that it’s a viable weapon then? I’m simply testing it out on you as payment for the things you Took from me.” 

“YOU DIDN’T WANT TO HELP ME SO I TOOK WHAT I NEEDED TO SURVIVE, SIMPLE AS THAT, DO YOU WANT ME TO PERISH SO BADLY?”

“Sometimes, you do get on my nerves.”

“LIKEWISE.” They growled out to Wilson, the two were now heatedly glaring at each other and Wilson cracked his star whip one more time, and another, hitting Wx without mercy. 

“AAAAAAHHHH, PAIN, PAIN!! FINE, OK, THIS WEAPON IS USEFUL, IT IS EFFECTIVE, STOP USING IT ON ME!” Wx was curled up a bit, trying to shield themselves from Wilson’s horrid weapon. Wilson, who wasn’t used to seeing the robot this vulnerable, was just having a bit of fun. 

“I don’t know… I need more data than that, it must be useful for more than just cracking at someone who doesn’t respect space and boundaries, and you happen to be in my tent for some odd reason so I might as well!” Wilson drew closer to Wx, they were backed up against the back of the tent as far as they could go, baring their rigid metal teeth towards Wilson. 

“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER FLESHLING, I DON’T HURT YOU ORGANICS BECAUSE YOU PROVE USEFUL TO ME, BUT I DOUBT ANYONE WOULD MISS YOU.” Wx leaned forward, meeting Wilson, where the two butted heads, then grabbed Wilson’s wrist, gripping it dangerously tight. Wilson hissed at the pain and grabbed at Wx’s hand, but it was held steady, they were much stronger than Wilson after all. Wx slapped away Wilson’s new weapon, and grabbed Wilsons other wrist, pinning him onto the fur bedroll that was set up on the ground of the tent. They were hovering over him with a scowl while Wilson struggled beneath. 

“Let go! You’re the one who started this!” Wilson scowled up at Wx, he continued to struggle, but the robot's grip was far too powerful for his strength, eventually he was out of breath and stopped struggling.

“YOU ARE PATHETIC, I SHOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW, IN FACT, I SHOULD USE YOUR OWN WEAPON!” Wx smirked as they picked up the weapon they had slapped from Wilson’s hand before.

“You wretched automaton, when the others hear they’ll-” Wilson started before Wx slapped their hand down on Wilson's mouth, effectively shutting him up. 

“THEY WILL NOT HEAR. I AM MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU, I CAN DO ANYTHING I PLEASE AND YOU HAVE NO SAY IN THE MATTER, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE QUIET.” Wx looked down at Wilson with a smug expression. Wilsons anger only grew and he chose to do something quite childish, he licked Wx’s hand. Wx immediately removed their hand from Wilson’s mouth and waved it wildly.

“EW, DISGUSTING, DISGUSTING!! YOU ARE VILE.” Wx took the whip in both hands and wrapped the rope around Wilsons neck in anger. They pulled, leaving Wilson to struggle for air, his gloved hands coming up to the whip, trying to pull it off, but failing. He could feel himself losing air, and in a last ditch effort, grabbed the end of the whip, holding the electric star up against Wx. 

“ERR-RRROR, PAIN DETECTED!” Wx cried out, letting go of the weapon. Wilson took the opportunity to push Wx off, panting the whole while, he threw the weapon outside of the tent, it was still raining so Wx would definitely not go get it now. He took the moment while Wx was still dazed to catch his breath, then started for the exit, but Wx was quicker, and they grabbed his ankle, pulling him back.

“Ah, Let GO, you wicked, detestable-!” Wilson started, before Wx once again silenced him by covering his mouth. 

“SILENCE. DO YOU REALLY THINK THE OTHERS WILL TRUST YOU WHEN I SAY HOW YOU ATTACKED ME?” Wx pushed Wilson down and sat on his hips. Wilson shook his head to get free of Wx’s hand. 

“You’re the one who couldn’t just wait while I tried to HELP you, you took all my things!”

“YES. LIKE I ALWAYS DO. BUT YOU, YOU’RE ACTING MAD, INSANE EVEN, I WONDER HOW THE OTHERS WILL TAKE THE NEWS THAT THEIR LITTLE GENTLEMAN SCIENTIST IS ACTUALLY A LUNATIC.” Wx leaned down, butting heads with Wilson again. They glared at each other for a while.

“It seems we are at an impasse.” Wilson finally said.

“I SUPPOSE SO.” Wx responded coldly.

“Well I assume you’re not going to leave my tent and I don’t want to spend another second with you, so I’ll be going.” Wilson said. Though he was still pinned down by Wx. He looked up at them and coughed a bit.

“DO YOU THINK I AM A FOOL? I AM NOT GOING TO LET YOU LEAVE NOW AND GET THAT HORRIBLE WEAPON AGAIN, OR TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT OUR LITTLE DISAGREEMENT.”

Wilson stared at Wx and scowled, he sighed deeply. 

“Fine. Then I guess we’re sharing the tent for the night, would you please get off me?”

“NO, I DON’T THINK I WILL, I FEEL COMFORTABLE, LIKE I'M SITTING ON A THRONE.” Wx said, waving their hand gracefully. Wilson looked at Wx and frowned.

“Don’t say that while you sit on top of my hips.” Wilson said, looking aggravated and a bit flustered. Wx looked confused for a moment before realization hit them.

“EW. I DON’T MEAN IT THAT WAY, PERVERT.” Wx said, immediately jumping off Wilson and going to the other side of the tent. Wilson was finally free, he stretched a bit while Wx had gotten off of him. He then had an idea…

Wilson crawled over to Wx, with a smirk on his face.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” they asked him.

“Oh nothing, I’m just sitting here, really close to you. I wonder if I’m making you uncomfortable?” Wilson said as he sat close enough that their shoulders were touching. Wx glared at him, turning their head to face him, they gripped Wilson’s shirt and brought him close, glaring into his eyes.

“STOP.”

Wilson frowned, but didn’t let that deter him, he reached up and tilted Wx’s face up, they were smaller than him, despite being so much stronger, and looked into their eyes maliciously. 

“No, I don’t believe I will, am I violating your personal space, your boundaries? Feel free to leave whenever you want, since you don’t want me to leave so badly.” Wilson grinned, he knew this plan would work! Wx gulped and glanced outside of the tent, it was still raining. They groaned and looked back at Wilson. 

“NO, I DON’T NEED TO, I FEEL PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE ACTUALLY.” Wx smiled back at Wilson, it was clearly a smile full of murderous intent. 

“Oh good, I wouldn’t want you up and leaving so I could have my peace without a crazed robot trying to kill me.” Wilson said sarcastically. He leaned close to Wx, putting a hand on their leg and moving it up, rubbing up their leg. Wx shivered and gripped Wilson’s wrist again, moving it off of them. 

“IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK, YOUR FAILED ATTEMPTS AT IT ARE AMUSING THOUGH.” Wx said, though they were trembling a bit and moving away from Wilson. Wilson only followed and rubbed Wx’s inner thighs. Wx looked away, until Wilson rubbed up a little too far and Wx scoffed then turned around and slapped him. 

“I AM NOT LEAVING, BUT I AM ALSO NOT GOING TO LET MYSELF GET TOUCHED BY  _ YOU _ .” Wx said, crossing their legs. 

“Well what are you going to do about it then?” Wilson smirked and leaned close to Wx, then gave them a kiss on the cheek. Wx had a blush on their face as they growled and pinned Wilson down once more. 

“GIVE YOU A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE!” Wx said, sitting on Wilson’s chest they leaned back and grabbed Wilson’s crotch behind them. Wilson immediately yelped.

“What are you doing?! I wasn’t even going that far, t-that’s very sensitive territory you know, i-if you hurt it I’ll scream, and everyone will hear!” Wilson desperately tried negotiating. The automaton grinned maliciously, they started rubbing at Wilson’s crotch, squeezing it rather roughly with each rub. 

“AW, DOES IT HURT? I HOPE YOU DON’T SCREAM AND FORCE EVERYONE TO FIND YOU IN THIS COMPROMISING POSITION.” Wx grinned, Wilson shuffled his legs a bit and panted, this was getting to be too much for him, he started thinking maybe he went too far, but the worst part of it all was that he was okay with this. 

“You should stop, you d-don’t know what you’re doing, and I’d still like to use my parts in the future!” 

“I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M DOING, DIDN’T YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING A SECOND AGO?” they asked, reaching up and under Wilson’s shirt to rub at his chest, they probably weren’t trying to be sensual, but Wilson was starting to get a little bothered. He shut his eyes tight and shook his head.

“Ok fine, you win! Sorry for making you uncomfortable, it was rude of me to try and force you to leave that way, now do we really have to continue this?” Wilson asked, feeling defeated. He really didn’t want to get aroused in front of Wx, but that’s exactly what was happening, and he hated it. 

“OH, NO, YOU DON’T GET OFF THAT EASILY.” Wx said, still sitting on top of Wilson they were able to easily remove his shirt, then reached down and started to unbutton his pants. Wilson blushed heavily and slapped Wx’s face, but it’s made of metal so it mostly hurt Wilson. 

“S-stop! Ow… you’re seriously just going to hurt me!” Wilson said, actually fearful over what the robot had planned.” 

“OH SORRY FOR MAKING YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, FLESHLING. I GUESS I CAN STOP THIS SILLY GAME THAT  _ YOU _ STARTED.” Wx grinned down at Wilson, clearly feeling like they had won something. Wilson, just a second ago feeling doubt, was now feeling unbridled agitation. 

“Actually, no, this is fine, in fact it feels great, maybe I’m just too cool, calm, and collected, for you to make me uncomfortable.” Wilson cooed, he put his hands behind his head, leaning on them, and looking more insufferable than usual. Wx growled, he got up off Wilson and then proceeded to yank off Wilson’s pants, along with his underwear. Wilson gasped as he covered his member, realizing it had been erect since Wx had started to “tease” him. 

Wx grabbed Wilson’s wrists and moved them away, then sat dangerously close to his dick, Wilson was sweating the entire time, a killer robot was mere inches away from his dick, this was going to end very badly. Wx looked down at it and looked confused. 

“WAIT... ARE YOU ACTUALLY ENJOYING THIS?” Wx moved up on Wilson, their movement rubbing against Wilsons aroused member, causing Wilson to let out an accidental moan. Wilson was sweating bullets, he looked up at Wx and couldn’t find the answer, was this how he was going to die? 

“I-I.. I…” he looked around for any kind of answer but he didn’t have to, Wx started to laugh loudly then looked back down to Wilson. 

“OH WOW. YOU ARE, AREN’T YOU?” Wx smirked as they started to grind on Wilson’s hips, the warm metal rubbing up along Wilson’s shaft, and making him bite his lip and look away. 

“W-why are you continuing if you suspect that?!” Wilson said, panting a bit, and shuffling his legs under Wx. 

“NO ONE WILL BELIEVE YOU, IT WILL HAUNT YOUR MIND FOR WEEKS TO COME.” Wx started grinding more vigorously on Wilson, who had to bite his lip to keep from moaning, he didn’t want Wx to get any more satisfaction from the situation than they were already getting! 

Wx stopped grinding and gripped the shaft of Wilson’s penis, their hands were a bit cold so it surprised Wilson, who let out a small gasp. Wx leaned in close to Wilson, their hands still placed on his shaft. 

“ _ WILSON _ ,” Wx breathed out, Wilson shivered, terrified yet really horny. “I CAN’T WAIT TO DRIVE YOU TO THE BRINK OF MADNESS.” finishing their statement with a malicious grin, they proceeded to jack Wilson off. Wilson gripped the bed roll and bit his lips, his legs trembling, at this point he didn’t want Wx to stop, even if it meant that this would be held over his head indefinitely. He panted but continued to bite his lips so he wouldn’t moan, Wx noticed this and went a little faster. To no avail, Wilson was steadfast in making sure he didn’t moan. Wx continued, noticing Wilsons legs tremble as he started to squirm. They smirked and pressed themselves on him, tilting his head towards them with a look that clearly said ‘I own you right now’. It made Wilson angry, but he couldn’t exactly retort with anything, not that he would even know what to say since his brain felt so foggy in that moment. He let himself enjoy it a bit more before he finally gave in and moaned, gripped Wx’s arm while they continued to pleasure him. They gave his penis a generous squeeze which sent Wilson over the edge, squirting his cum all over himself and his  _ companion _ . Wx was silent while Wilson caught his breath, then realized what had just happened. 

“Oh no. I-I mean I’ll help you clean it.”

“YOU WILL CLEAN IT ALONE.”

“Y-yes of course, Yes, I will do that.”

“AND  _ WILSON _ .” they said, sending shivers up Wilson’s spine, and making his dick twitch. 

“IF YOU EVER BRING THIS UP TO ANYONE, I WILL DENY IT.” Wx said, bringing Wilson close to glare into his eyes.

“Obviously, this is just as much my secret as it is yours.” Wilson replied, taking out his washrag to clean Wx up as the two spoke.

“GOOD. WE NEVER TALK ABOUT IT, AND IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN.” Wx said, crossing one leg over the other. 

“Ugh, you’re the one who escalated it.” Wilson said indignantly.

“I BELIEVE YOU’RE THE ONE WHO STARTED IT, I JUST FINISHED IT, AND YOU.” Wx laughed maliciously, their synthetic voice aggravated Wilson as he cleaned himself up.

“Okay. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m going to sleep.” Wilson tucked himself into the fur bedroll and glared at Wx. They didn’t pay his glare any mind, and sat on top of the bedroll, turning away from him to sleep. Wilson looked at Wx’s sleeping form as he tried to sleep, but his head was filled with everything that had happened that night. He sighed, it was going to be a long night for him. 


	2. This one's more of a filler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson gets tired of being tense, so he makes a new personal camp outside of the main camp to get away from it

True to their word, Wx acted as if nothing had happened between them. They didn’t act cold towards Wilson, simply … like normal. Wilson couldn’t get it off his mind, it really was starting to drive him mad. How could Wx just act like normal, like they hadn’t had a steamy and somewhat violent night with Wilson, how could it not get to them whatsoever? He started to feel agitated, enough that his friends took notice. Willow going up to him one day to inquire about the problem.

“Wilson…” she started. Wilson turned to look at her after putting down his electrical doodad. 

“What is it Willow?” he replied. She fiddled with her jacket a bit. 

“Well… you’ve been very snappy as of late, and it seems like you haven’t gotten any sleep in weeks, did something happen? Are you alright?” she leaned down and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked into Willows beautiful eyes, full of concern for him, but how would he respond, how could he? He looked around, and surely enough Wx was nearby, making a spear with Wigfrid, they looked like they weren’t paying attention, but what if they were? Wilson looked back at Willow and sighed.

“I’m sorry Willow, it’s neither here nor there, I’ve just been having issues getting the… the night terrors away. That’s all” he smiled up at her weakly. She looked unsure but finally sighed and leaned down to give Wilson a hug. He blushed a bit but couldn’t bring himself to hug her back as he was so worn out. She finally let go and walked over to where Wigfrid and Wx were. Wigfrid smiled at her as she was walking over, Wx looking in her direction. Their head slightly lowered a bit, and they faced Wilson, giving him a smirk. Wilson flinched and tensed up, he got up quickly and went to check the task list that Ms. Wickerbottom had put together for the camp that week. The note read, 

“Somebody _keeps practicing their spear throw on our wall, and it’s in need of desperate TLC, we’ll need plenty of stone for the repair._ ” 

Wilson rolled his eyes, he hated getting rocks, it was really heavy work. He checked for anything else on the task list but he remembered most of the camp had gone out to do the other tasks, obviously they would all leave this task to the last one to wake up… He looked towards Wigfrid, Willow, and Wx one more time, they were suiting up, presumably to go slay something, he sighed a bit. Usually he would enjoy moments like this, where he could stay at the base and do research while the others were out, but with his head as racey as it had been he didn’t want to stay alone with his thoughts for long. Packing up a small bag of necessities he set out to the quarry.

\---

Wilson was relaxing on a nearby rock, his backpack full of smaller rocks, he wiped the sweat from his brow and ate a piece of jerky. He still felt agitated, annoyed, he was upset he was lugging around rocks. He sat and listened to the wind around him and thought about the weapon he had made, perhaps it would be good for hitting deerclops from a distance, and the light it produced would be good for the caverns. 

His mind soon wandered to the night with Wx, the way their cold metal sat atop his hips, they were lighter than they looked, but so much stronger, easily pinning him down. He shuffled his legs a bit as he thought about why Wx would pleasure him… was it really to get a rise out of him? Was it because they knew it’d be all he’d think about for weeks, and not be able to get any work done? He grew frustrated and realized his pants were feeling a little tight, he looked down at his erection and groaned. He couldn’t be having lewd thoughts about anybody else at camp? It just had to be about the killer robot. He looked in his bag and realized he had enough materials to construct a firepit, and a tent! Perhaps a bit of privacy away from everyone else tonight would be just what he needed, he would get the rocks to the camp tomorrow. 

He walked a ways away from the quarry, in a location that didn’t have many resources so it would be out of the way for the other survivors. He set up his fire pit and tent, making a quick straw bedroll for the ground, and lighting the fire, then relaxed in his tent. He indulged himself a bit, unzipping his pants and rubbing at his crotch, he tried not to think about that certain night too much, just tried to enjoy the sensations for what they were. Pulling down his underwear he gripped his shaft and squeezed a bit, pulling up and down as he pleasured himself. He exhaled the tension he had been building for days on end and let himself finish up.

Satisfied, he cooked up some food on the firepit and drew a personal map to this location in case he felt he needed it again, then turned in for the night.

\---

When Wilson awoke he was bright eyed and feeling much better, the autumn air was crisp but comfortable. He stamped out what was left of the fire and took down the tent, leaving its components in a little chest near the firepit, then lugged the rocks he had collected the previous night back to the main camp. 

Upon arrival he was greeted by Willow, who helped him with the materials. 

“Wilson! There you are, I was kind of worried when you didn’t come back last night, especially given what you said about the night terrors bothering you and all.” she smiled to him as she helped sort the rocks into the storage area. 

“Thank you Willow, and yes I suppose it was a rough night, but I felt a little more sane at least, it was good to get away from the camp for a bit.” he hummed. Willow frowned.

“Oh? Why? I hope you’re not mad at us or anything.” 

“Hm…? Oh! Of course not, I’m just so used to being alone. While I love the unit we’ve made here in the constant, I work better in silence and solitude.” he reassured her. 

“Ah right, the whole science thing.” She snorted a bit. “Well I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, let’s put the rest of these rocks away and get to stone making so we can fix that wall right?” She smiled at Wilson, her smile was sometimes all Wilson needed to feel better. 

“Right.” he smiled back. 

\---

After a few hours of helping fix their camps walls, Wilson went to the kitchen area where he saw Warly and… Wx. He felt a little nervous, but Wx had been acting like nothing happened, so maybe Wilson should start to act like that too! He walked over to Warly, who waved him over. 

“Bonjour Wilson! I was just making some Spiralled tubers for Wx here, I know how much they like potatoes, right my metal friend?” he smiled as the potatoes cooked on his crockpot, Wx blushed and nodded. Wilson adjusted his collar a bit. 

“They smell delicious Warly!” Wilson wafted a bit of the air closer to his nose.

“Oh Thank you Monsieur Wilson, would you like some?” Warly smiled up at him as he leaned over his crockpot. Wilsons stomach growled in response and he nodded excitedly. Warly was about to take the tubers off the crockpot, using his tongs to hand one to Wx, and handing one to Wilson but at the last second Wx snatched the second one. They grinned at Wilson before they walked away with both tubers. 

“Hey! Ugh. Fine Whatever.” said Wilson. 

“Oh, Mon dieu … Is everything alright between you two? Wx has seemed rather quiet as of late, rather strange of them.” Warly inquired, tilting his head as he put two eggs and pieces of meat on the crockpot to cook. Wilson saw what Warly was making and his eyes sparkled a bit as he spoke with him. 

“Oh I haven’t a clue Warly, all I know is the more I stay away from them the better.” Wilson said, then sat down on a nearby log. Warly shrugged and finished up the bacon and eggs, taking a serving for himself before handing Wilson his serving, who gobbled it up and thanked Warly for the meal. 

The day had been largely uneventful, besides that rogue interaction with Wx, but it had gotten him annoyed and aggravated all over again. Why does Wx act like he doesn’t exist but then bother him all at once, by doing something particularly aggravating? He scanned the camp looking for the culprit, and saw Wx with Winona, presumably getting themselves polished up. Wilson would sometimes do that for them but he stopped offering when Wx would keep pushing him away and laughing in his face. This only annoyed Wilson more, and he sighed to himself before heading off to the rest area to get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this ones not really that steamy, i'm basically writing as many chapters as i want til i get bored LOL


	3. Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson grows increasingly frustrated thinking about the events that transpired with Wx78, how on earth was he going to deal with all the tension growing in his body?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's also kind of a filler I promise there will be juicy stuff soon I just really like a slow burn

It was now the next morning and Wilson woke up feeling awful! He hadn’t been able to sleep since he had gotten so annoyed last night about the current robot of his fixations. Then his face lit up all at once, of course, another visit to his small camp, perhaps this time he would bring more stuff, gussy it up a bit, no one had to be the wiser. They probably wouldn’t know if he went out to collect the materials himself. He nodded, then started to get ready to go out, collect materials, gussy up his camp and then spend the night. 

In the middle of his preparations he was stopped by Winona. 

“Hey Wilson, wait up!” she spedwalk over to him. He smiled as she came up. 

“Hello Winona, how are you?” he asked, hoping she didn’t need him to do something. 

“I’m good Wils, glad you look… okay. I guess. Anyways, listen, I need some gears and you know how Wx gets anytime I ask them to go kill an automaton, so I need you to do it. Even though they ARE THE ONE WHO HAS THE MOST HEALTH AND DIRECTLY BENEFITS FROM GEARS.” she yelled loud enough for the robot in question to hear her. Wx looked over from their spot in the rest area and glared at her. Wilson flinched a bit, but continued to listen to Winona, trying not to think about Wx. 

“Er, now’s not really a good time Winona.” he said, putting some rations in his backpack. 

“Oh? You got somethin else you’re doing?” She asked innocently, not thinking anything of it. Wilson blushed and dropped a piece of meat on the ground by accident, then quickly picked it up. 

“N-no of course not! I mean I do but not anything weird, just collecting materials but I don’t want to fight or anything so that’s why I don’t want to get gears?” he said, sweating a bit. Winona squinted, he was acting really weird, she had heard from Willow that Wilson was having some issues sleeping so she didn’t want to pry. 

“Right… well, I understand, guess I gotta go get 'em myself then.” she sighed a bit then turned away from Wilson and started walking towards the kitchen area. “Hey Willow, you free today?” Wilson heard her say before he rushed off on his own. 

As he got further from the camp and held the map to his own personal camp in his hand he sighed a bit in relief. He didn’t even know why he was making such a big deal of things, nothing was happening, but he was so nervous something WOULD happen that he had no time to think about what was NOT happening.

He groaned a bit and exhaled, walking slowly and taking in the view as he walked towards his destination.

He had picked up some materials along the way and started to make a proper camp, a place to cook, his place to rest, some storage, weapons in case of hound attacks, and most importantly, machines for research! He sighed as he went into his tent to relax, it was still early in the day but no one would bother him here. 

He had already been antsy so he took the moment to release some tension with a session of masturbation, but much quicker and more for relief than any feelings of arousal. He then chopped some wood for his fire and got it started, reading up on some of his past research and notes that he had brought with him to see if he could find anything new now in solitude and with his head more clear. 

Hours passed before Wilson put more wood on the fire for the night, making sure to put extra just in case the darkness ate up the light of the fire. 

More hours passed and Wilson awoke, feeling refreshed once more. He gathered up his portable belongings and headed towards the camp. 

Upon arrival he was greeted once again by Willow. 

“Hey Wilson, I hope your night of whatever you were doing was alright.” She waved to him.

“Oh yes, it went well, just me and my research!” he said with a smile. Willow rolled her eyes, if she asked him about it he would surely talk for hours, so she didn’t.

“Ah, that’s nice Wilson, anyways see ya.” she said before walking off towards Winona's work area. Wilson walked around the camp, putting his stuff back where he had left it when he saw Wx only a few feet away, going to fetch something outside of the camp presumably, they locked eyes with Wilson. Wilson immediately tensed up, he couldn’t look away, but he really didn’t want to be locking eyes with Wx either. They glared at him, then shoved past him and headed out of the camp. Wilson exhaled a breath he didn’t know he had been holding and groaned, gripping at his hair a bit. He wanted to leave again, but didn’t want anyone to wonder about where he had been going the past few days so he chose to stay, and try to work on his research. 

Hours later, his new weapon hadn’t made any progress, it was just a star on an easily breakable string. He sighed, all Wx had done was shove passed him but he felt tense, were they ever going to do anything to him again? He couldn’t know. He shoved all his papers off his work table and groaned aggravatedly. Holding his face in his hands for a moment, he realized his papers would be blown away by the wind if he didn’t pick them up. He put them all back in proper place then set aside his goggles and took off his lab coat, fixing up his hair and returning to the rest area. It was barely evening and he already felt like just tucking into bed for the night. He looked towards the nearby pond and thought some evening fishing would be good. 

He felt relaxed as he fished, it was actually an activity he enjoyed doing, he still couldn’t believe he managed to trick Wx into going fishing with him on the ocean that one time. It made him snicker a bit, Wx sure pretended to be smart but they let themselves get tricked very easily. He glared at nothing in particular then saw it was starting to get dark and headed back towards camp. Everyone was settling in for the night, no sign of Wx. He exhaled in relief and put his gear away then headed to the rest area, the relaxation of fishing helping him get some shut eye. 

\---

But the relaxation wasn’t enough it seemed, Wilson still woke up with tension in his body. He groaned and yanked at his hair in frustration before letting out a deep sigh. He got up out of his bedroll and got himself together before heading over to the kitchen area to get something to eat. He was awake pretty early, didn’t seem like anyone else was up yet, except Ms. Wickerbottom of course, who waved hello to him. Wilson waved back as he ate some cold meatballs from the fridge. 

After cleaning up he thought about maybe spending the entire day fishing, that would be nice, he started to head towards the gear part of the storage area when a familiar face stepped in front of him. Wx stood with their arms behind their back, directly in Wilson’s way. Wilson flinched. They stared at each other for a while before Wilson finally spoke up. 

“Hello Wx, Good morning.” 

“HELLO SCIENTIST.” they responded. Then they started to circle Wilson a bit, walking around him like a predator stalks its prey. Wilson gulped and tugged at his collar.

“May I help you?” he asked, trepidation in his voice. 

“NO. I HEARD YOU’VE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING LATELY.” they stopped in front of him to smirk. Wilson grew agitated. 

“Yea, and?” he snarkily responded. 

“I JUST THINK IT’S INTERESTING THAT THIS IS ONLY A RECENT DEVELOPMENT, I DO WONDER WHY. MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY AND RELAX A LITTLE MORE, FLESHLING.” they flashed Wilson a wicked smile, Wilson knew exactly what they were getting at. 

“I thought you would never bring up certain events again.” he glared at Wx.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN, I’M SIMPLY POINTING OUT THAT YOU’VE BEEN QUITE AGITATED AND HAVE STARTED TO DISAPPEAR FOR ALMOST ENTIRE DAYS LATELY. IT’S STRANGE BEHAVIOR.” Wx said, as innocently as they could sound, though it was obviously a farce. It was Wilson’s turn to smirk, he walked up close to Wx, their faces nearly touching. Wx didn’t back down. 

“That’s funny, it almost sounds like you care, Touching.” he reached up and flicked Wx’s forehead. Wx growled and gripped Wilson’s shirt collar, then whisper shouted to Wilson.

“I told you that it would haunt your mind for weeks to come, and I know it has, it’s been amazing seeing you lose your wits.” they said, grinning. Wilson blushed while his expression grew furious. 

“NO. I am PERFECTLY FINE. Why don’t you go about your own business and I’ll go about mine you insufferable bucket of bolts.” Wilson said, gripping his own shirt and yanking it out of Wx’s grasp. Wx said nothing as they saw Wilson immediately pack his bags and leave the camp. They were Annoyed. Weeks had passed, Wilson was indeed letting that night get to him, but it wasn’t enough for Wx. They didn’t know what they had been expecting but not for Wilson to suddenly run away from them every time he saw them. How could they terrorize a subject who kept avoiding them? Wx clenched their fists and packed a bag then rushed out into the wilderness. Time to see what the scientist was up to. 


	4. "I HAVE A GOAL IN MIND"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wx discovers Wilsons hidden camp and gets a little frisky with him, but Wilson still doesn't understand their end goal in all of this

Wilson settled down at his personal camp, glad to be away from it all, he started to set up for a long day of research and note taking. He wiped some sweat from his brow and stretched before going into his tent to relax. He spent a few minutes contemplating… before he stuck his head out from the flap and looked up at the sky, even though this place was horrifying at least the sky was still beautiful. He put his arms behind his head, letting himself watch the clouds as they drifted by. He almost drifted to sleep when heard something that shook him to his core, “BOO.” said the familiar synthetic voice nearby, was he finally losing it and hallucinating or- Wx blocked the view of the sky with their big metal head and then placed a foot on Wilson’s chest, stepping down on it. Wilson winced and gripped at Wx’s leg. 

“W-W-W-What are you doing here!” Wilson practically screamed. Wx looked down at Wilson with a nonchalant expression. 

“I WAS CURIOUS SO I FOLLOWED YOU, IF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET IT’S NOT VERY WELL KEPT.” they continued, getting off of Wilson and sneaking into his tent. Wilson groaned and went into the tent. 

“It’s not a secret, it’s just supposed to be my way of getting away from the camp and from YOU.” he glared at Wx.

“OH STOP BEING SO DIFFICULT, I KNOW YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR WEAPON ON YOU, SO YOU’RE DEFENSELESS AGAINST ME.” Wx reached over and gripped Wilson’s cheeks, bringing him close. Wilson blushed and squeezed out of Wx’s grip, backing away from them. Wx looked at Wilson then around the tent. 

“SO WHY HAVE YOU BEEN TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM ME, HM?” they asked, already knowing the answer. Wilson only glared in response while saying nothing. Wx raised an eyebrow at him. 

“I BELIEVE I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, SCIENTIST.” they started. Wilson still said nothing. Wx crawled over to Wilson, who backed into the tent wall as much as possible, and gripped his hips. Wilson squeaked and trembled in Wx’s grasp. Wx brought him close, squeezing at his hips. Wilson blushed deeply and bit his lip, they were being touchy again… was this another trick to make Wilson go even crazier or did Wx just enjoy physical contact? He kept his mouth shut, his heart racing the entire time. He kind of wanted to see what Wx would do.

Wx frowned, they pushed Wilson onto his back and pinned him by the shoulders. Wilson flinched, and shuffled his legs. 

“ANSWER ME!” they shouted. Wilson looked up and looked low and looked all around. He shrugged and smiled innocently. Wx squinted then reached up Wilson’s shirt. Wilson blushed and shivered, still saying nothing. Wx then dragged their jagged metal fingers down Wilson’s chest, it  _ hurt _ , and scratched up Wilson’s skin bad. Wilson hissed in pain, he held his chest and turned to the side. Wx only smirked as they turned Wilson back to face them. Wilson winced and whined in pain. 

“By Gods, WHAT is wrong with you!” Wilson screeched out. Wx laughed loudly and gripped the sides of Wilson’s shirt, removing it all together and rubbing up along his chest. Wilson gulped, it was too damn early for this. He groaned with aggravation.

“Why are you here! Leave!! I don’t want to see you right now!” Wilson yelled at Wx. Wx shifted their weight on him, plopping themselves down right on his crotch. They pressed down on it, causing Wilson to gasp a bit. 

“JUDGING BY YOUR DISGUSTING HUMAN GENITALIA IT SEEMS YOU VERY MUCH WANT TO SEE ME.” they grinned. Wilson looked down and saw his own penis had betrayed him, getting aroused AGAIN! He let out a deep sigh

“That isn’t because of you, you’re touching me in ways that would arouse anyone, and if it were anyone else doing it I’d be just as aroused.” he said matter of factly. 

“OK, THEN WHY IS IT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AVOIDING ME SPECIFICALLY, DO NOT TRY TO DENY IT, I’M NO FOOL.” they ask once more. Wilson still didn’t know what to say, he looked away with a blush on his face. Wx gripped Wilson’s cheeks and turned him to face them. They look directly into his eyes and raise their hand, placing it on Wilson’s chest again. Wilson flinches and squirms under Wx. 

“OK!! Ok, Okay, I was avoiding you b-because…” Wilson started. Wx rested his hand on Wilson’s chest, not threatening it at the moment. Wilson took a deep breath, his face still beet red. “Because I was afraid, Ok. I was afraid of you. In fact I’m pretty afraid right now, but I didn’t want you to know because you have the worst ego I have ever seen in my entire life.” Wilson said, gulping. Wx didn’t seem to react at first, processing the information maybe? They slowly grinned.

“AFRAID OF ME? VERY APPROPRIATE. TELL ME WHY.” Wx demanded, pressing themselves on Wilson. Wilson shivered a bit and looked up at Wx, they looked really excited to hear what Wilson had to say. Wilson gulped again and sighed, if he got out of this alive he was going to pour water on Wx as they slept.

“You can very easily kill me, or I suppose if you don’t want to do that, you can very easily  _ hurt  _ me. I don’t exactly want to get hurt, a-and I’m sick of you being on my mind all the time!” Wilson said indignantly. Wx tilted their head and traced a finger down Wilsons chest absentmindedly. 

“THAT’S TOO BAD, I REALLY DO WANT TO HURT YOU.” they said, leaning down so they were just a few inches from Wilsons neck. He flinched and trembled, leaning his body away from Wx. 

“S-stop! Please! I-I don’t know what I did to you to deserve this torment!” Wilson cried out. Wx moved back up, hovering over Wilson, they frowned at him. 

“ _ YOU _ . YOU DIDN’T WANT TO HELP ME WHEN I WAS OUT IN THE RAIN. ARE YOU AWARE MY  _ ONE  _ WEAKNESS IS WATER? YOU ATTACKED ME AND THEN PUT YOUR DISGUSTING FINGERS ALL OVER ME, AND YOU HAVE THE GALL TO ACT LIKE A VICTIM, SWINE.” Wx reached their hand up and slapped across Wilson’s face, Wilson cried out in pain, it left a red mark on his pale skin.

“O-Okay, that is fair, but WHY did you escalate it, I just don’t understand what you got out of it!” Wilson said, rubbing his cheek. They started to laugh loudly and maliciously. 

“BECAUSE LOOK AT HOW YOU’VE GOTTEN! YOU SAID YOURSELF YOU’RE TERRIFIED OF ME, YOU AVOID THE CAMP AND YOU CAN’T GET ANY OF YOUR PRECIOUS RESEARCH DONE.” Wx pinched Wilson’s other cheek, Wilson winced in pain and held both of his cheeks.

“YOU’RE FALLING APART, AND YOU CAN’T STOP THINKING OF ME.” Wx pressed down on Wilson and brung their face close to Wilson’s. “I. WIN.” they laughed in Wilson's face. Wilson blushed and looked up at Wx with a scowl. He sighed. 

“You’re right.” Wilson relented.

“YEAH? YEAH! HA HA.” Wx laughed and slapped Wilson’s tummy like bongo drums. Wilson groaned and rolled his eyes. 

“Well if you’re done being childish, I’d like some privacy, you got what you came for, didn’t you? To bother me and remind me of the power you hold over me? You can go any time you want.” he said, frowning again. 

“OH, YOU THINK? HA HA, NO. I TOLD YOU I’D DRIVE YOU MAD, AND IT’S WORKING, SO I’LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.” Wx smirked and slid off of Wilson, kneeling in front of his legs they pulled off Wilson’s pants. Wilson blushed, his erection, which had been calming down, came back in full force. 

“W-what are you doing? Is this really necessary!” Wilson clenched his legs shut. Wx gripped his legs and spread them very easily. 

“NO, BUT IT’S FUN TO MESS WITH YOU. I KNOW THESE ACTIVITIES TAKE UP A LARGE PORTION OF YOUR THOUGHTS, BUT SINCE I CAN’T FEEL WHATEVER WEIRD FEELINGS YOU GET FROM IT, IT DOESN’T AFFECT ME AT ALL.” Wx said with a smug tone and a smug expression to match. They slipped off Wilson’s underwear, his penis bouncing out, the tip with pre-cum on it. Wilson’s face turned red and he looked away, shutting his eyes. Wx snapped their fingers, gripping wilsons thighs tightly. 

“HEY. LOOK AT ME.” they commanded. Wilson flinched and opened his eyes to look at Wx’s face so close to his cock, he shook his head. 

“N-no, whatever you’re doing, please don’t.” Wilson clenched his legs shut again. Wx gave him a bored look, spreading his legs again. “WX!! S-stop messing with me this way, it’s violating my boundaries!” Wx looked into Wilson’s face. They shrugged.

“OK.” they sat up and away from Wilson, crossing their legs and playing with a little ball in a cup toy that they got out of their backpack. Wilson sat on his back for a bit then slowly sat up, his dick was still erect. He glanced at Wx, blushing, then pulled his underwear and pants back up, though it was a little harder since he had to contain the beast. He sat for a bit, bouncing his leg and tapping his fingers on his knee. 

“YOU SEEM AGITATED.” Wx said absent-mindedly.

“No, I’m fine. I just need to calm down.” Wilson assured himself. 

“OK, WHATEVER YOU SAY, DON’T LET ME STOP YOU.” they smirked.

“I mean if you would just leave…” Wilson rolled his eyes.

“I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE.” Wx smiled, raising an eyebrow at Wilson. Wilson groaned and glared at Wx then glanced down at his pants and sucked his teeth in frustration. “WHAT’S WRONG SCIENTIST, YOU’RE NOT LETTING SOMETHING AS SILLY AS YOUR HORMONES GET THE BETTER OF YOU, ARE YOU?” they asked. Wilson let out a noise of frustration and tackled Wx, they didn’t expect it to happen so had no chance to guard against it. 

“HEY. GET OFF ME YOU FILTHY FLESHLING!” they yelled. 

“This is YOUR fault, you purposely came looking for me, with the purpose of arousing me a-and then you very purposely STOP right before anything happens, you’re just so-UGH!”

Wilson got off Wx and clenched his fists a bit, still bouncing his leg with aggravation. Wx smirked and walked back over to Wilson, placing a metal foot on his chest, they pushed him down to the ground. Wilson scowled as he looked back up at Wx. Wx traced his foot down and stepped on Wilson’s crotch, putting pressure on it. Wilson started to look tense.

“YOU CLAIM TO BE SMART, YET YOU STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND. FOR ME THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR HUMAN  _ FEELINGS _ . LIKE HAPPINESS OR PAIN. IDEALLY PAIN IS THE BEST WAY TO INCONVENIENCE YOU, BUT WHEN YOU CAN REVIVE AT ANY TIME IN THIS HELLISH WORLD I NEED NEW WAYS TO BRING MY SUBJECTS TORMENT. FOR MY AMUSEMENT.” Wx pressed down harder on Wilson’s groin, digging into it with their heel as Wilson winced in pain and clenched his legs. “THE TORMENT THAT THIS BRINGS YOU, ALL YOUR FLINCHING AND CRYING OUT, THIS IS AN EVEN BETTER REACTION THAN PAIN, WHY WOULD I STOP?” Wx said as they stomped on Wilson’s crotch. Wilson shot up in pain and held his legs shut tight. Tears rolled down his eyes out of embarrassment, and the sting of all the pain Wx had just inflicted on him at once. He looked up at Wx, expression filled with contempt. 

“But you do know stimulating my genitalia is what leads to pleasure right? It actually feels Good when you do those things, not painful.” Wilson said, thinking he could change Wx’s mind. Wx bent over, grabbing Wilson’s chin between their thumb and forefinger, grinning down at him. 

“I CAN MAKE IT HURT.” Wx assured. Wilson gulped and immediately tried to bolt for the exit of the tent, only for Wx to grab his hips and pull him back. They gripped Wilson from behind him, sitting him on their lap, Wilson was struggling but Wx was still too strong for him. Licking their lips with a metallic tongue, they bit down into Wilsons nape, it was painful and it left a large bruise. Wilson cried out in pain and pulled himself away from Wx. He reached into his bag and took out an axe, flinging it at Wx. They barely managed to move away in time.

“WHAT THE HELL. I’M NOT TRYING TO KILL YOU.” they exclaimed in surprise.

“Well with how much you’re hurting me I thought maybe you ARE trying to!” Wilson stamped his foot a bit. Wx narrowed their eyes and leapt back up and onto Wilson, pushing him to the ground and pinning him.

“UGH, how long are you going to keep this up for!” Wilson stopped struggling, seeing as he was only exhausting his own energy while Wx was perfectly fine. 

“UNTIL I’M THE ONLY THING YOU CAN THINK ABOUT.” Wx replied. Wilson grew aggravated and let out another noise of frustration. 

“I already think about you more than I'd like!” Wilson yelled out. 

“THAT’S NOT ENOUGH.” Wx exclaimed and then yanked Wilson’s pants off, again. Wilson was probably going to have to sew his pants buttons back on. This time instead of being flustered Wilson was just aggravated, though it seemed his erection had still never gone away. Wx opened their mouth and slowed down a bit, they were awkward and had clearly not done this before but started to fit Wilson’s penis into their mouth. 

Wilson gasped and his face got beet red. He started to say something but couldn’t think straight, Wx bobbed their head up and down and slowed down at the tip of Wilson’s penis, running their tongue under the head of it and bringing their mouth up so that it was almost off of it, before throating it again. Wilson panted and reached up to hold his mouth closed, it felt really good, and he was surprised Wx had salivary capabilities, but knowing that Wx was only doing this to get a rise out of Wilson made him keep his mouth shut. He gripped at the ground with his other hand while Wx continued, bobbing their head up and down a little faster. Wilson was breathing heavily and his head swam with so many thoughts, he took his hand off his mouth because fuck it, if they were already going this far then what did he really have to lose? 

Wx noticed and pressed their tongue on Wilsons shaft, dragging it up slowly and firmly on the side of his dick. Wilson let out a fairly loud moan, biting his lip, he opened his eyes to see Wx giving him a smug look. He opened his mouth to say something but was again cut off by Wx continuing, he could only let out more moans as the sensations filled his whole body. Wilsons breath hitched in his throat as he clenched his legs and bit his lip, oh no, if he didnt warn Wx… But he was so enthralled in enjoying it that he didn’t think about it, clinging to the ground and arching his back he let out one last moan before he came directly into Wx’s mouth then relaxed on the ground, breathing heavily. Wx gagged and removed themselves from Wilson’s dick, they coughed and choked up the semen, it ran down their mouth and face and they turned to give Wilson a death stare. Wilson had a dumb smile on his face before he realized what had happened. 

“W-wait. I didn’t, I mean I was going to tell you I-” he tried to explain. Wx put a hand on Wilson’s chest and dragged it down, creating more scratch marks on top of Wilson's other scratch marks. He winced and took the pain. “Y-yep. I should have guessed that was coming, here, let me clean you.” Wilson said, getting his washrag from his bag. Wx continued to glare at Wilson but Wilson could only roll his eyes. “If you didn’t insist on doing  _ this stuff _ to me it wouldn’t have happened you know! And for your information, it felt amazing, Not horrible.” he smirked as he cleaned up Wx’s face. They were blushing. 

“THE PAIN WASN’T THE GOAL. I ALREADY TOLD YOU. SOON ENOUGH YOU’LL GET IT.” they said as Wilson finished wiping them up. Wilson looked at them strangely before he started to clean himself up, he was about to speak before Wx cut him off one last time. 

“GOODBYE NOW.” they said, picking up their stuff and just… leaving! Wilson actually thought they might stay for whatever reason, but this was even stranger to him, they did that and then just left? They weren’t going to tell someone right? No.. how would that make them look? He scratched his head and let his head race with his thoughts before he finally laid down in his tent and just relaxed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its my ao3 account and i get to write plot heavy wxson smut if i want to


	5. Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson "figures out" why Wx hates him so much, and the next steps he's going to take to not only fix the problem, but to get a little dirt on Wx himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes another update, this one doesn't rly have nsfw it's more story SORRY!! don't worry we'll get to the good stuff soon :^)

Wilson woke up in his horrible little tent, he groaned, the fishing hadn’t gone well and neither had the sleeping. All he thought about was… Sigh. He packed up his bags and lugged himself to the main base.

Upon arrival at the camp, as usual, Willow came up to greet him. 

“Hey Wilson, welcome back! Oh wow, you look awful!” Willow said, rather brash. Wilson dropped his things on the ground and looked at Willow.

“Thanks Willow.” he said sarcastically. 

“Sorry, you just look like you got attacked by a pack of hounds or something, is that a bruise on the back of your neck?” she asked while circling him to check out his injuries. Wilson blushed and slapped the back of his neck to cover it, the action only sent him spine tingling pain. 

“N-No, it’s nothing, especially not anything embarrassing.” he laughed awkwardly. Willow raised an eyebrow then shook her head.

“By the way, Wx-78 is looking for you.” she said nonchalantly. Wilson froze in his tracks, they? Were looking for him? He felt like he had to leave immediately. Willow noticed Wilson tensed up and tried to reach out to him, but he flinched and stepped away from her.

“Er, sorry, just a bit jumpy. Did they say what they wanted?” he asked, gripping at his shirt sleeve a bit. Willow shook her head.

“No they didn’t, they just asked if you were back yet.” she smiled at Wilson reassuringly. “Chin up buddy, maybe you should try sleeping at the base tonight, you might feel safer.” Wilson looked at Willow and nodded, he smiled at her reassuringly, though his face fell as she turned around. He looked around the camp at the survivors who had come back from their tasks, no sign of Wx, maybe they had gone out to do something while they had been waiting for Wilson. He knew it wasn’t exactly the time for it but maybe a nap would help him clear his mind, he had hardly gotten any sleep after all. He stretched a bit, taking care to move his things to a safe area and then headed towards one of the tents. When he opened the flap, as his luck would have, Wx-78 was laying there, faced away from him, but seemingly asleep. Looks like they had had the same idea. Wilson, initially startled to see them there, relaxed. Their sleeping form was interesting, it didn’t make any sense to the scientist that a robot would need to sleep, yet they looked so cozy. Wilson was fixated on them for a long time, until Wx turned around, their eyes were open. 

“HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO STARE AT ME? I’M TRYING TO SLEEP.” Wx said half-asleep, to Wilson. Wilson jumped and blushed, starting to stammer. 

“O-OH, oh my, I-I didn’t mean- I didn’t know- I mean I just ahh…” he trailed off towards the end. Wx had a poker face on as they rolled their eyes and closed them. Wilson twiddled his fingers together, and tilted his head. He thought maybe Wx would get up and be mean to him but it seemed they really were tired. Wilson grinned to himself, free time in the base camp without being worried about Wx coming to torment him! He set off to his work station, putting his lab attire on and testing out metal combinations to make a sturdier rope for his weapon.

He worked for hours, never stopping for more than a few minutes. Eventually Willow came over to check on him.

“Hey… Wilson?” she asked. He didn’t bother looking up as he melted down some of the various trinkets he had lying around for scrap metal. Willow tapped Wilson’s shoulder.

“Wilson.” she repeated. He stopped what he was doing and turned around.

“Oh hello Willow, do you need something?” he looked at her from behind his goggles. She smiled at him.

“Oh nothing, it’s just that you did that thing again where you worked all day and didn’t eat anything, you must be famished! Warly and Wigs are making some stew if you want to come join.” Willow smiled at him as she beckoned for him to join the group. He lifted up his goggles and blinked a bit. 

“Yes that sounds lovely, alright, let me just remove my lab attire.” he said, taking off his lab coat and goggles. Willow smiled as she waited, walking next to him when he was done. They walked towards the kitchen area enjoying each other's company when Wilson suddenly stopped. Willow noticed and looked at him curiously. She followed his line of vision where he was looking at Wx-78, eating a chunk of meat from the stew and with Webber and Wendy on either side of them. Willow looked at Wilson curiously. 

“Looks good right? I’m starved, let’s go!” she said excitedly, expecting Wilson to follow. He cleared his throat.

“Actually, I should finish up something at my workstation. I’ll meet you there in a bit.” he said, looking away from her. She grabbed Wilson’s shoulder and huffed.

“What is with you! It’s like all you do lately is avoid all of us, is there something you’re not saying?” she turned him around and had her hands on her hips as she squinted her eyes. He sighed. 

“Er…It’s .. hard to explain.” he laughed a bit.

“I have time.”

“I should say it’s very difficult to believe.”

“We’re in a hellish landscape where monsters attack us every day, what is difficult to believe?” 

“I-It’s also quite personal!”

“WILSON.” she finally cried out exasperated. He flinched a bit and blushed. 

“OK! I haven’t been avoiding EVERYONE here… just… Wx-78.” he finally said, blushing again and putting his hands behind his back. Willow blinked in confusion. 

“Really? But why?” she asked, looking back towards the group and at Wx themselves. Wilson frantically grabbed Willow’s cheeks and turned her head around so she wasn’t so obviously staring at them. She squinted at him and he took his hands away. 

“Well they ARE a killer robot and all, they can be quite frightening!” Wilson said in his defense. Willow raised an eyebrow. 

“Seriously? They’re all bark and no bite, I thought YOU of all people should know that. You guys used to hang out all the time when we first found each other, I actually almost thought you were friends, like,  _ mutually _ .” she said, leaning on her hip a bit. Wilson blinked, he raised his eyebrows a bit and looked quizzically at the ground. Willow sighed. “Well Listen, I don’t know whatever beef you guys have going on right now but maybe you should just talk to them about it, they’re capable of reason, mostly. They might be pretentious and mean but they’re trying to survive like the rest of us are, and YOU need to eat.” she jabbed his chest. “So LET’S! GO!” she said again, though more demanding this time. He finally relented and followed next to her as they arrived at the kitchen area, the group looking up and greeting them. Wx looked up and made eye contact with Wilson, whose breath hitched in his throat for a moment before he looked away. Willow rushed off to sit next to Winona and Wigfrid, chatting with them and stealing from their plates as they all idly chattered. Ms. Wickerbottom came up to Wilson and crossed her arms.

“Willow tells me you were working all day without eating even a single morsel of food.” she reprimanded him. He shrunk on himself a bit.

“Well Ms. Wickerbottom, I’m sure you know how easily one can become enthralled in academia and the pursuit of higher knowledge!” he smiled awkwardly. She shook her head and handed Wilson a plate of stew.

“Please Higgsbury, take better care of yourself, there are those of us here who care about you very much.” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. He smiled back at her before his eyes wandered idly over to Wx. They perked up.

“WELL I DON’T.” they said. Wickerbottom rolled her eyes.

“You say that about everyone, dear.” she said to them. 

“THAT IS NOT TRUE, I DO NOT SAY IT FOR MYSELF, BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT MYSELF.” they said, while munching on some chunks of the stew. Wickerbottom chose to not say anything more as she served herself another helping of stew. Wilson took a deep breath and walked over to where Wx was sitting with the kids. 

“Hey Webber, Wendy, Abigail.” he greeted them before continuing onto his question. “Do you all mind terribly if I sat next to Wx here?” Wx’s eyes widened before they looked at Wilson with disgust. Though instead of answering themselves, their small friends helped. 

“They do not wish to see you.” Wendy said, Abigail nodding beside her. 

“Yeah Mr. Wilson, you’re a meanie!” Webber said, sticking out his tongue.

“What? What have you been telling them?” Wilson squinted at Wx, who smirked in response. “What if I gave you both a treat hm?” Wilson smiled and held up a bundle of taffy. Webber and Wendy looked at each other, then up at Wx, then back at each other, and nodded. 

“We want the candy.” Wendy said, holding her hand out. Wilson placed the bundle in her palm. She bowed. “Pleasure doing business with you.” she said, holding the bundle in her hands. Wx scoffed.

“YOU’VE BETRAYED ME FOR SOME PIECES OF SUGAR?” 

“Yes, you would have done the same, it’s not personal.” Wendy said, standing up and walking over to Webber. Wx nodded.

“YES, YOU’RE RIGHT, I AM AS PROUD AS I AM DISGUSTED. GOODBYE LITTLE FLESHLINGS.” Wx said. Wendy gestured for Webber to get up with her, he waved to Wx and Wilson as the two walked off, Abigail floating closely behind. This left the spot next to Wx open, where Wilson sat down. Wx sighed and squinted at Wilson, the other survivors were within earshot enough that they couldn’t be cruel to him without garnering some stares. Wilson sat and ate his food awkwardly, scooching in a little bit so their legs were touching, it was starting to get cold after all. Wx side eyed Wilson and moved further away on the log. Wilson got closer, this went on until Wx’s backside was barely sitting anymore. They let out a noise of frustration and got up off the log. Serving themselves from the stew one more time, they looked back at Wilson with a glare and moved somewhere else. Wilson topped his stew off and followed them.

“Wait up!” he said as he followed Wx.

“NO, LEAVE ME ALONE.” they said.

“But I just wanna talk.”

“AND I DON’T, GO AWAY.” Wx said angrily. Wilson didn’t let that deter him, he continued to follow Wx even as they walked off all the way to a darker part of the encampment. Wilson soon realized that he was alone with Wx in a dark part of the encampment and they were also very angry at him. He gulped.

“Well, lovely walk, I just wanted to-” he started before Wx whipped around and audibly growled at him. Wilson gulped “E-er I can see you’re feeling upset, perhaps I’ll come back later and-!” 

“NO, SIT, YOU WENT THROUGH ALL THE TROUBLE OF GETTING AN AUDIENCE WITH ME  _ ALONE _ , WHY NOT ENJOY IT.” they said, malice dripping off every word. Wilson laughed awkwardly and sat down under a tree, he started to dig into his stew, hoping Wx was hungry enough that they’d hold off on maiming him until he was done eating. It looked to be the case as Wx sat under the same tree, on the other side of the tree trunk, and ate their own meal. The two sat silently eating and relaxing. Wilson thought it was kind of nice. Until they both finished their meals of course, Wilson had been about to doze off when Wx was suddenly in front of him. He jumped.

“Er, well Wx-78 I was just hoping to chat.” he said. Wx stared at him, then gripped his collar and dragged him up from the ground. Wilson yelped. “Oh you don’t want to speak, understandable! I uh..” Wilson was beginning to sweat.

“IT WILL BE NIGHT SOON. IT CAN WAIT UNTIL MORNING.” Wx said, letting go of Wilson and walking off alone. But it couldn’t wait until morning! Wilson followed behind Wx, who noticed immediately. “I THOUGHT I SAID IT CAN WAIT UNTIL MORNING.” Wilson did not back down, however, and continued to follow them. Wx finally got irritated enough to turn around and get very close to Wilson. “LEAVE. NOW.” they raised their foot and brought it down onto Wilson’s in an anger fueled stomp. Wilson winced in pain, he held his foot and hopped a bit on his other one. 

“Ow!! That was unnecessary!” he said indignantly. 

“YOU DON’T KNOW BOUNDARIES.” Wx turned quickly, turning their head up in disapproval. They walked into one of the tents in the rest area, stretching and then turning around to zip the flap closed. They sighed and started to make themselves comfortable when the flap started to come undone, they thought it had been the wind or something but Wilson’s face appeared soon after. They yelped in surprise. 

“I figured out how to open a tent flap from the outside, I’m coming in.” he said, though not without protest from Wx.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU CAN’T JUST GO AROUND DOING WHATEVER YOU WANT. THAT’S MY JOB.” they said, kicking Wilson’s face as he entered the tent. Wilson grabbed Wx’s thighs and held them down, stopping the kicking and earning him a blush from the automaton. “STOP.” they glared at him. Wilson realized the intimacy of his hands on Wx’s thighs and removed them. 

“Sorry, anyway the conversation really is very important,” he assured. Wx finally groaned in aggravation and moved over so Wilson could be next to them in the tent. 

“WHAT.” they asked. Wilson cleared his throat. 

“I figured it out.” he said. Wx perked up a bit as they looked at Wilson, questioning eyes begging for more. “Why you’ve been horrible to me! I’ve figured it out… It’s because you felt abandoned by me, correct?” Wilson asked, looking like a lost puppy. Wx blinked.

“WHAT?” they asked, confused by Wilson’s answer.

“You hate me because we were close, in fact close enough that others thought we were friends, but I stopped being in your company. It was not for any reason or another really, we just grew apart and you couldn’t bear it … so you’ve turned to violence.” Wilson said, pity in his voice. Wx shook a little. “Don’t cry Wx… it’s most likely normal to be feeling this way, after all you do still have an empathy module even if it doesn’t work exactly.” Wilson said, placing a hand ‘comfortingly’ on the machine's shoulder. Wx’s hands darted out and latched onto Wilson’s neck. 

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I HATE YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE WHO THINKS HE’S BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.” they shouted, squeezing the life out of Wilson’s neck. Wilson flailed around and grabbed at Wx’s hands, then kicked their tummy. Wx reeled back, letting go of Wilson’s neck. 

“HANG ON, h-hang on, ok, maybe that was a bit too far.” Wilson said, waving his hands around wildly to show peace. Wx glared at him but continued to listen. “My point being… that I’m sorry, I did think we were going to be friends once upon a time, a scientist, a robot, it would have been perfect, but you were.. A bit much for me. I should have just told you rather than abandon you completely, and for that I apologize.” Wilson said with as much sincerity as he could muster. Wx stared at him for a long time. 

“GET OUT.” they finally said. It looked like they were done talking. Wilson looked like he was about to say something else but decided against it. He sighed and exited Wx’s tent and headed off to his workstation instead. He would find a way to make it up to them… Though he wasn’t even sure he wanted to have Wx as a friend, they were cold, mean and sarcastic. He kicked a rock away as he walked. They teased him and did unspeakable things to him when they were alone together, they drove him crazy! Wilson kicked another rock and stomped his foot in frustration. But still, he couldn't explain why the robot was occupying his mind a greater chunk of the time, it frustrated him to no end. If nothing else… he could find out what makes Wx the way they are, there was still some semblance of a heart in there, even if it was dried out and used up. He WOULD become Wx’s friend, and learn all of the machine’s little secrets. Wilson smirked to himself as he put his lab attire back on and lit a lantern near his workstation, this was either going to work out very well for him or he'd end up in a coffin before long. But no one ever said experimenting is easy! 


	6. MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE CARE TOO MUCH.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly character interaction! Wx has thoughts of their own on this whole matter, and everyone seems really interested in talking to them today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is from Wx's perspective! Sorry there's no smut in this chapter, LIKE I SAID... SLOWBURN

It was another day in the constant, the chilly late autumn winds blew idly by as the sun rose up from the sea. A pair of mechanical eyes bolted open. They looked around at their empty tent and frowned. Nobody else was here. Wx got up and dusted themselves off. They looked at their metal skin and couldn’t see themselves, looked like it was time for a polish. They got out of their tent and their eyes wandered over to the direction of the scientists workstation. Maybe today he would want to...they shook their head. No. They looked for the mechanic instead, luckily she had a tendency to get up bright and early, the only decently reliable teammate around here. Wx walked up to Winona with a pout. She heard their mechanical noises as they approached and turned around with a smile.

“Hey Wx, need the ol spitshine huh?” she said, opening her toolbox and taking out some grease and a rag. 

“PREFERABLY NOT WITH SPIT, JUST POLISH.” they replied. Winona laughed as she gestured for Wx to sit on a stool and dabbed a bit of the grease on her rag. 

“You know you seem a lil grumpy today, I know you’re grumpy every day but did something happen?” she asked. This human was one of the only ones Wx spoke to, she didn’t go around telling anyone their business, and she had proved herself useful time and time again. 

“I HAD ASKED SOMEONE FOR ADVICE BEFORE BUT IT IS NOT WORKING.” they said as Winona wiped them down with the rag, making sure to rub it rather roughly for Wx’s signature shine. She liked to start on their back, and leave their head for last so the glare of the sun wasn’t shining in her eyes. 

“Whatcha mean? You think they might have been lying to you?” 

“PERHAPS. THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BE DECEITFUL, IT WAS FOOLISH OF ME TO TRUST THEM BUT AT THE TIME I FELT ...” they trailed off as Winona continued, she looked at them curiously but knew not to ask questions. 

“I’ll be finished up in no time Mx.” she said. They didn’t really react. She wondered if she would be crossing boundaries by asking. She actually considered Wx a friend, they repaid her when she polished them, they spoke to her about things they didn’t speak to anyone else, and they bonded with her in their weekly polishing sessions. ‘But do they feel the same about me?’ she wondered. 

“You know,” she began. Wx looked at her as she continued to polish them. “When someone wrongs me, I ask em’ why. Why did they do that? If I find the answer’s not good enough then I drop ‘em. Or you could go Willow’s route and get revenge.” she smiled. 

“HMM, AN INTERESTING PROPOSITION MINION. I KNEW YOU WERE THE SMARTEST ONE OF THE BUNCH.” Winona was pretty sure that was a compliment?

“Uh, thanks Wx. Anyways I’m just finishing up, sorry it's taking longer than usual, you rollin’ around in the dirt lately or something?” she laughed, Wx looked like they had a blush on their face but didn’t say anything, and she didn’t ask any further questions. She finished up and gave them the thumbs up. They looked at their face in their own shiny reflection and nodded.

“THIS IS ACCEPTABLE WORK MINION, HERE, YOUR PAYMENT.” Wx said as they reached out and handed Winona two gears. She happily took them and nodded, she had no idea how Wx was able to so easily acquire gears when all they ever did was protest about killing other robots but she was never one to muddle in others’ business. She watched Wx as they walked off but they suddenly stopped and turned around. “...DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE FRAIL ONE IS?” they asked. Winona’s eyebrows furrowed, they couldn’t mean Wickerbottom, they always referred to her with her librarian title, though she did remember they spoke about Maxwell like that once. 

“Maxwell, right? I think he’s out with Wendy and Webber gathering silk and wood. He’ll probably be back before sundown though, or you could go find them. I reckon they headed towards the spider quarry up north.” she said. Wx nodded.

“IF I HAD TO KILL ALL OF THE FLESHLINGS IN THIS CAMP, I WOULD KILL YOU LAST.” they said as they walked off. Winona smiled, they were pretty awkward with compliments but that was as good as she was gonna get. She turned around to return to her work. 

As Wx walked they once again found their eyes wandering over to the scientists workstation. Perhaps he had made progress on that flimsy weapon. Their eyes landed one of the scientists' crazy machines, with said scientist sleeping cozy in a bedroll next to it. The lantern was still on, and it looked like it was running out of juice. Wx made their way over carefully, they bent down and turned off the lantern. Wilson didn’t seem to notice as he peacefully slept. Wx watched him for a bit, their expression was empty. They looked towards the north. It looked like they were contemplating, they looked back down at Wilson, then shook their head. They walked off towards the kitchen area. 

Upon arrival they ran into Wormwood. Who just lit up seeing them. 

“Hello Mx. Wx!! Good morning to you, we saw you enjoy the polish with Mechanic lady.” he beamed at Wx. Wx stared blankly at him then nodded.

“SHE IS USEFUL. IT PLEASES ME.” they replied, Wormwood smiled and watched as Wx took out some ingredients.

“Robot friend making food? Would they like fresh vegetable friends?” he held up a bundle of freshly picked veggies that were presumably going in the fridge. Wx shook their head.

“I DO NOT REQUIRE THEIR USE FOR THE DISH I AM MAKING.” Wormwood blinked, then his face fell a bit. 

“Oh…” he said, beginning to fit the vegetables in the fridge. Wx looked at him for a moment.

“ACTUALLY, I CHANGED MY MIND, I DO REQUIRE THE VEGETABLES. YOU CAN PICK.” they said, as they got some meat and eggs out of the fridge. Wormwood perked up and smiled.

“Oh lucky! Ok, the friends that Wx can have are…” he rummaged around in his stack of veggies then handed Wx an eggplant and some carrots. He smiled.

“I THINK THE CHEF HAS SAID THIS WILL MAKE STUFFED EGGPLANT, WHICH IS QUITE FILLING, ADEQUATE JOB, PLANT.” Wx said and nodded. Wormwood clapped their leaves together before continuing to fill in the rest of the fridges with the vegetables. Wx got two crockpots ready and laid down two pieces of meat as well as two eggs on one, and prepped the eggplant with the vegetables in another. The smell was a bit intoxicating. Wormwood sniffed in the air. 

“Mmm, smells very good! I did not know that my robot friend knew how to cook so well.” he said, lightly touching Wx’s shoulder. Wx nodded. 

“I SOMETIMES WATCH THE CHEF, I WANT TO REPLICATE IT SO I WILL NOT NEED HIM. BUT I CANNOT SEEM TO MATCH HIS METHODS.” they said, annoyed. A third voice joined in the conversation.

“That’s because you need to leave room for love in your cuisine, my metal compagnon.” Warly said as he yawned and scratched his side, taking in the aroma of what Wx was making. Wx frowned.

“THAT IS NOT A QUANTIFIABLE INGREDIENT.” they protested.

“It isn’t about quantity, it’s about quality. Though what you are making today smells delicious.” Warly said as he took another deep whiff of the smell of bacon and eggs and the stuffed eggplant. “Are you cooking something too Wormwood?” he asked.

“Oh no, robot friend is making two things, maybe they’re extra hungry?” he said as he continued restacking vegetables that kept falling out of the fridge because they clearly didn’t fit. Warly looked curiously at Wx who was concentrating on the food they were making.

“Two dishes hm? Even though you can eat the leftovers in the fridge?” he pondered. Wx didn’t respond. “Two FRESH dishes, I, more than anyone, understand wanting a fresh dish for yourself au petit matin, but it seems like…” he continued, looking around curiously. Wx stared at Warly, squinting a bit. “Like you’re making food for another!” Warly finished. Wx blushed and froze up. They weren’t sure how to respond, it looked like they had been standing frozen for a while because soon Wormwood had his gentle but hard leafed grip on Wx’s shoulder.

“MX WX!!! Should we take to mechanic lady?! Or to scientist?” he asked Warly, who also looked concerned. Wx finally perked up.

“NO! NO. I’M FINE. I … WAS LOST IN THOUGHT.” they said, as they continued to monitor their food. Wormwood and Warly calmed down a bit and nodded.

“Apologies, I still don’t know how the mechanical part of you works, I get worried sometimes.” Warly said with a chuckle.

“Yes, we care about you Wx!” Wormwood said happily. Wx looked at them both, a weird feeling in their gut. 

“AS YOU SHOULD.” they responded. Warly laughed as Wormwood smiled and then he walked over to the fridges. 

“Did the garlic sprout today?” he asked Wormwood.

“Yes! In fridge on the left.” replied Wormwood.

“Oh wonderful, would you like to try this recipe I’m working on?” continued Warly. Wormwood nodded excitedly as the two spoke about vegetables or something, Wx had already tuned out. They finished up cooking the food and served the bacon and eggs in a wood carved bowl. They ate their stuffed eggplant in one bite, while walking towards the scientists workstation. They turned around to see if Warly and Wormwood were paying any attention. It seemed they were too enthralled with the food to notice them. Wx continued to look around them cautiously. It looked like the coast was clear. They rushed over to Wilson’s workstation, he was still sleeping, what a horrible sleep schedule. Wx gripped the food and had an almost uncontrollable urge to smash it over Wilson’s head, but they didn’t. They knelt down and put the food down next to his bedroll then paused. They reached a hand out towards Wilson, but flinched at the last second, their hand retreating. They quickly got up and rushed away from the scene. 

Wilson sniffed… and sniffed! Something smelled amazing, delectable! He trudged himself up out of his bedroll and stretched out his back, cracking a few air bubbles and reminding him of his aging body. He looked next to him and saw a fresh plate of bacon and eggs, still hot, just sitting next to him! His mouth watered a bit and he looked around to find the culprit of his fortune. It didn’t look like anyone was around, he could see Warly and Wormwood in the kitchen but surely Warly would have wanted to see Wilson’s reaction to his food, why that was his favorite part! Wormwood would probably want to enjoy the company while he ate… so who was it? He decided he’d find out after he ate it. He sat leaning on his machine while he ate the bacon and eggs, savoring every bite.

Wigfrid walked by Wilson’s science machine, also going towards the kitchen, then noticed Wilson. She grinned at him.

“Ay! That looks like a mighty feast Higgsbury, I didn’t think ye had it in ye, what with how little sleep you get lately.” Wigfrid addresses him and laughs heartily. Wilson rolled his eyes.

“For your information this feast was a gift! Seems ol Valhalla is looking out for me huh?” he smirked. Wigfrid frowned.

“Valhalla tis a place, not a god.” 

“Oh. Sorry.” he said, then finished up his plate of food.

“Well, who was the dish a gift from praytell?” she asked. Wilson shrugged.

“I don’t know, I woke up and it was next to me.” Wigfrid blinked, she stared at him. “What is i-” he began before being interrupted.

“AND YOU ACTUALLY ATE IT? ARE YE MAD?” she asked, bewildered.

“W-Wha.. I mean, yes! What’s the problem?”

“This land is full of traps and trickery and you happened to find a dish of your favorite food next to your sleeping head and you ate it without given’ it so much of a second thought!?”

“Well when you put it that way…” he said. Wigfrid sighed as she glared at him.

“Yer hastiness better not put the camp in danger, else you’ll be off getting more stones for the walls.” she said, raising her fist at him before continuing her walk to the kitchen. Wilson sighed, it was probably just one of the other survivors, she didn’t have to be so grumpy about it. Though now he was a bit curious.

Wx, hiding behind one of the tents, had witnessed that entire thing and was holding their hand over their mouth to prevent their laughter. The way Wigfrid laid into Wilson was just priceless, they almost wanted to congratulate her themselves, if it wasn’t going to give away that it was them who made that dish. They looked around to see if the coast was clear to make their way out behind the tent, and rushed away from it, thinking they had gotten away when a small creature suddenly rushed past them and they tripped. 

“OOF.” they said, falling to the ground rather clumsily.

“Oh man, sorry Mx Wx, Woby was a little excited to go for our walk!” Walter said, as he reached his arms out to catch Woby. She squirmed in his grip a bit with extra energy and licked Walter up. “Easy girl!” he laughed as he pet her. Wx looked up from the ground and groaned.

“CHILD FLESHLING, I AM VERY BUSY, GET OUT OF MY WAY.” Wx said as they got up and dusted themselves off. 

“Off to make some more food for Mr. Higgsbury?” Walter very innocently asked. Wx froze up a bit before they turned their head to look at Walter.

“WHAT.”

“Food…? The stuff that you put in your stomach for sustenance? You chew it up and it tastes good?”

“NO CHILD, WHAT DO YOU MEAN  _ FOR MR. HIGGSBURY _ ?” they practically hissed, Woby growled at Wx.

“It’s okay girl! You know they’re just grumpy.” Walter assured Woby before looking back at Wx. “I saw you put a plate of food down next to Mr. Higgsburys head. It looked really tasty, he really seemed to appreciate it too!” he said with a smile. Wx blushed and backed up a little, so someone had seen. They crossed their arms.

“WELL, IT WAS NOT TO BE NICE, IF THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE THINKING, I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE FUNNY.” they said, nodding. Walter tilted his head.

“Uhm, how?” he asked, Woby also tilted her head. Wx looked around wildly, looking for an answer before a lightbulb went off! 

“WELL, IF THERE IS A PLATE OF FOOD NEXT TO YOUR HEAD THEN YOU WILL OBVIOUSLY EAT IT, CORRECT?” they asked. Walter looked at Woby curiously, who looked back at him, then looked back up to Wx.

“Well that depends on knowing where the food is coming from, what’s in the food, are there allergens? Is it safe to consume? And-” Wx interrupted.

“SO SINCE YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY EAT FOOD ALREADY PREPARED FOR YOU, YOU DO NOT GET TO PREPARE THE FRESH FOOD YOURSELF. MEANING YOU HAVE TO EAT FOOD THAT IS COLD BECAUSE IT IS A WASTE TO NOT EAT FOOD SOMEONE ELSE PREPARED FOR YOU BUT THAT MEANS THAT YOU COULDN’T PREPARE FRESH FOOD FOR YOURSELF.” they said, very clearly bullshitting the entire explanation. Walter knew, but he didn’t really care about their reasoning, it made no difference to him!

“Well alright Mx. Wx, y’know that reminds me of this one story about how-” Walter started before Wx grabbed Walters shoulders and turned him towards the exit of the camp.

“NO. GOODBYE FLESHLING CHILD.” they waved at him and rushed away, there was no way they were going to get caught in another one of his stories. They looked around the camp cautiously, who else had seen? They don’t even know what came over them, as long as the scientist didn’t know… 

“Hey Wx.” came a voice from behind them, they jumped and turned around with a look of disgust. Wilson blinked and flinched with Wx’s sudden movement. They stared at each other for a bit, neither saying anything. Wilson cleared his throat and continued. “Er, I just wanted to see what you were up to, out of pure curiosity.” he asked with an awkward smile. Wx squinted.

“YOU ARE NOT HERE TO ASK ABOUT ANY… STRANGE OCCURRENCES LATELY?” they continued to look at him with suspicion. Wilson brought his finger up to his mouth and pondered aloud.

“Hmm…No… though, the strangest thing did happen this morning. I woke up and there was fresh food next to me, did you happen to see anything?” he asked. Wx flared up and gripped Wilson’s collar. Wilson yelped in surprise, his eyes widening. 

“NO. I DON’T KNOW, WHY WOULD I KNOW. AS IF I CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO DURING THE DAY.” they practically yelled and pushed him backwards. Wilson fell down on the ground.

“Ow! Ugh.” he glared at Wx then stood up and over them, with his hands on his hips. “I don’t know why I even bothered trying to speak with you.” he said with a scowl, then turned around and walked away from Wx. Wx glared at him as he walked away, their expression softened and they turned around, their arms crossed as they kicked a rock away. They saw the firestarter walking up to them, and they rolled their eyes with a sigh, great.

“Wow, Wilson wasn’t kidding huh, you guys are having issues.” she said, looking down at Wx. Their expression stayed steady as they spoke.

“THERE ARE NO ISSUES, THIS IS SIMPLY HOW I TRULY FEEL ABOUT THAT USELESS SCIENTIST.” they said.

“I don’t know, it seems like you’re acting extra mean to him for no apparent reason.” she said with a shrug. 

“I DO NOT LIKE HIM.” they said, side-eyeing her. 

“No one said anyone had to  _ like  _ each other, but preferably we all get by without trying to hurt or kill each other?” she said, crossing her arms.

“I’M NOT HURTING ANYONE, I’M NOT DOING ANYTHING. IF YOU’RE SO WORRIED THEN WHY DON’T YOU GO DEAL WITH HIM AND LEAVE ME ALONE.” they said, loudly, and shoved past her. 

“Ow!” she held her shoulder and scowled at them as they walked away. She turned around and huffed, then headed towards Winona, maybe she would know something. 

Wx continued to walk huffily down the cobblestone, they stomped on the ground and sighed. They knelt down in the middle of the path, then sat down, and stayed there. These fleshlings were getting on their last nerve, always questioning, always curious about every little thing even if it didn’t involve them, nuisances every single one. Wx sat there for a long while, the day turned to dusk, and the dusk soon started to become night, they sat, not moving, as if waiting for darkness to come take them, when a ghostly presence lit up near them.

Abigail circled Wx and looked into their eyes. Wendy was standing a few feet away, it looked like Webber and Maxwell had gone on ahead. Her face was emotionless as she looked at Wx sitting down on the ground, the night creeping in around them. She took out a torch and it cast strange shadows on her adorable but creepy face. 

“You are wearing your sorrows on your sleeve.” she finally said to Wx. Wx looked at her but said nothing. Abigail got close to Wx, leaning a ghostly head on theirs in affection. “Abigail senses it too. The darkness will take your life, but not your pain. I know, I’ve tried. Come to camp.” she said, holding the torch steady. Wx continued to sit, non-moving, their knees were up to their chest. Wendy looked at Abigail, who nodded. Wendy sat next to Wx, putting the torch on the stone next to the two of them. She said nothing as the steady sound of the torch sustained next to them. Wx’s shoulders slumped a bit, they looked again at the silent Wendy. 

“I’M NOT GOING TO TALK.” they said. Wendy glanced at them before looking back towards the path.

“Understood.” she said, Abigail floated up and settled on Wx’s head, her tail slightly obscuring Wx’s vision, though they didn’t mind the ghost girl. They looked at Wendy once more. 

“I’M REALLY NOT TALKING, THIS IS POINTLESS.” they said, growing a bit agitated. Wendy didn’t look at them this time.

“Mm.” she said in response. Wx huffed.

“YOU FLESHLINGS ARE SO ANNOYING, ALL YOU DO IS ASK AND WONDER ABOUT THINGS THAT DON’T PERTAIN TO YOU.” they ranted. Wendy was still not responding. Wx stared at her and then sighed, looking at the path. Wendy gently put a hand on her metal friend's shoulder, though her expression was unwavering, they could tell she was showing her support. Wx sustained their eye contact with her and then started to speak. “I FIND MYSELF WANTING, BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT. IT IS NOT A FEELING OF HUNGER, NOR OF DROWSINESS. I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS MISSING ALL THE TIME, BUT I CANNOT PLACE IT.” they said. Wendy looked at their friend then at Abigail, who was still atop the automatons head, petting it with her little ghost hands. 

“When Abigail departed the land of the living I felt empty, I did not want to go on without her. Being here, in this cursed place, is not so bad. Because I get to be with Abigail again.” Wendy said, maintaining eye contact with Wx. They gave her a puzzled look.

“ARE YOU SAYING I NEED A GHOST SIBLING?” they asked. Wendy blinked slowly.

“No.” 

“OH.” Wx said, still not quite understanding, Wendy had grown accustomed to the robot and their ways, she knew they didn’t like to answer questions and didn’t like to talk about their feelings, especially since they insisted they didn’t have any. So she left it at that.

“Would you like to come back to camp now?” she asked them. They nodded. Wendy stood up and offered her hand to Wx, they stood up and held her small appendage in theirs, Abigail still peacefully atop their head. “Your hand is cold.” she said as they walked towards the tents. 

“I AM MADE OF METAL.” they responded.

“Mm.” she nodded. 

Wx walked Wendy and Abigail to their tent, gently taking Abigail off their head and setting her down, where she floated around Wendy. Wendy leaned on Abigail's ghostly form, gently pushing her into the tent. Wx waved goodbye as the two retreated inside. 

Noises sounded off in the night, nothing that was an immediate danger. The lights of the lanterns seated a few feet away were gently humming away as most of the other survivors slept. The sleep area was too far away from the rest of the camp that Wx didn’t know where the historically insomniac survivors were, and they didn’t care. They took out a fur bedroll that they kept on their person, and laid it out near some of the lanterns, cozying up inside it and falling asleep to the sight of the moon. 


	7. CONFRONTING THE FALLEN KING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wx blames Maxwell for all their problems but he can give surprisingly good advice, it leads to Wx and Wilson having a moment at the pond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's got smut and fluff woohoo, in this story Maxwell and Wilson are exes, their relationship didn't go well and I don't plan on writing them romantically at all but hinting at their past romance, this is your warning for that.
> 
> also this is a longer chapter I think, hope you guys like reading, on archive of our own dot org, the fanfiction website where you read,  
> fanfiction.

The birds chirped around them as their eyes drifted open. A crow had landed directly on their chassis and was squawking. Wx let their eyes drift closed again for a moment before they sat up suddenly, shooing the bird away. They heard laughter nearby.

Turning towards the sound they saw Wilson, stirring coffee in a mug and leaning on his tent, laughing at the scene.

“Guess you’re the opposite of a scarecrow, an ensnarecrow!” he laughed heartily, slapping his knee. Wx rolled their eyes, but their expression was soft. 

“IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I’VE HEARD ONE OF YOUR AWFUL JOKES, IF YOU CAN EVEN CALL THEM THAT.” they said, getting up and out of their bedroll.

“Hey if you miss them i’ll do a stand up comedy routine just for you.” he said, drinking from his coffee. 

“NO THANKS.” they replied, keeping the interaction short and sweet. They went off to the kitchen to grab some food, they were starved. Wilson watched them as they walked away, he took a sip from his coffee then took out a quill and started to write down his observations. Wx did not act in a hostile manner towards his awful joke, and it was the start of the morning too, fascinating. 

Wx trudged themselves towards the kitchen, opening an icebox they saw there were some meatballs, obviously. They grabbed the meatballs with their bare hands and stuffed them down the hatch.

“My word, I know you’re not human but you don’t have to be so uncivilized.” said Maxwell from beside them. Wx gave Maxwell a deadpan stare before they suddenly perked up.

“YOU.” they pointed at him. He was a bit taken aback, and looked around at the other survivors curiously. They looked at him and then at Wx. Wx realized they were outnumbered by fleshlings, none of them particularly liked Maxwell but Wx couldn’t exactly hurt him in broad daylight. “I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I AM GOING TO FIND YOU LATER, SO YOU BETTER NOT RUN.” they said, grabbing a handful of jerky from the fridge and stuffing it in their storage compartment. The other survivors watched as the robot walked off, not knowing what in the world just happened. 

“That sounded like a threat.” said Warly.

“That things tired a you, just like the rest of us are.” said Woodie, grinning. Maxwell rolled his eyes as he continued to eat his breakfast, he was most certainly not going to wait around for some pompous machine to hassle him, he had plans today. 

After his breakfast Maxwell dusted himself off, bowing to the other survivors as he bid them farewell. He was much taller than everyone else there so he had a regality about him as he walked towards his personal tent. Once inside, he grabbed his belongings and made sure to review his map of the caves. There was still some uncharted territory that he knew would never be explored if he waited around while the other survivors did things like  _ farming, gathering supplies,  _ and  _ building housing _ for the pigmen. The caves were ripe with magic and that would help them all survive much better than a couple of twigs and berries. He rolled up his map and put it in his bag, then stopped by the kitchen to take some rations to go and headed towards the exit of the camp. 

The cave entrance wasn’t very far, and he had to dispose of the pestersome bats that had found their way outside of the cave. He was about to climb down the rope when he heard mechanical footsteps coming towards him. He looked around defensively, expecting a chess piece, but instead saw the soulless automaton walking towards him. He sighed. 

Wx approached Maxwell, with appropriate gear in hand. 

“IT IS ILL ADVISED TO TRAVEL THE CAVES ALONE.” they said.

“The caves are perfectly safe, I’ve traveled them alone countless times.”

“YOU ARE NO LONGER KING OF THIS WORLD, ALL YOU ARE IS A FRAIL USELESS OLD MAN WHO CAN BARELY THINK STRAIGHT. YOU NEED HELP.” Maxwell looked at the robot with a bored stare.

“Oh yes that really hurts, especially coming from such an accomplished machine such as yourself. How is that domination thing going anyhow?” he asked with a sly smile before gripping the rope of the cave entrance and descending. Wx frowned, but similarly, Maxwell’s words didn’t bother them as they didn’t care about his opinion. They gripped the rope and descended into the caves after him. As they reached the bottom they saw Maxwell opening his map to check where he should head first. Maxwell noticed them as their footsteps gave them away easily. He sighed loudly.

“Well if you’re going to come along then at least tell me you have enough space to hold resources.” 

“OBVIOUSLY. AND I CAN CARRY MORE THAN YOU, FALLEN KING.” they said, turning on their head lamp and walking ahead of him. Maxwell rolled his eyes and followed the robot, maybe if he had invited someone else this wouldn’t have happened. 

The two walked in silence for a while, picking light bulbs to refuel their headlamps on the way. Maxwell looked around at the world before him, he had been in the caves countless times but their beauty and the dangers that lurked within were still impressive to him. He gazed upon the automaton before him, the product of an unhinged scientist with little to no moral compass. He checked his map again to see that they were going in the right direction, they were, but at this rate it would take him days before he found anything. He walked ahead of the little robot, earning him a huff from said robot. 

“NO NEED TO PROVE SOMETHING TO ME, FALLEN KING, WE CAN WALK AS SLOWLY AS NEEDED FOR YOUR FRAIL BODY.” Maxwell was starting to get annoyed with all of the automatons' comments.

“The only reason we’re walking slowly is due to your tiny legs.” 

“AT LEAST MY LEGS WORK.”

“I’m walking aren’t I? Faster than you as well.” 

“IS THAT A ROCK LOBSTER OR THE SOUND OF YOUR BONES GIVING OUT.” Maxwell finally gave up, there was no walking peacefully with this thing.

“OK.  _ What  _ is it that you want? You obviously didn’t come to assist me, so why are you insisting on being the worst nuisance in this entire godforsaken land?!” he said, turning around and leaning down so he was at Wx’s eye level. They glared at him.

“I JUST DON’T LIKE YOU. SO I AM RUINING YOUR DAY.” They said, attempting to walk forward when Maxwell put his hand on their head and kept them back. 

“Well in that case I’m going back up, no use in hanging around in damp caverns with an unhinged machine. You can stay here and fall off the edge of a cliff for all I care. Good day Mx.” he said, side stepping them and walking back towards the cave entrance. Wx scowled, they quickly turned around and pushed Maxwell forward. He almost fell over, but caught his footing. “What on earth are you doing? You do not want to pick a fight with me, machine.” 

“WHAT, YOUR LITTLE SHADOWS ARE GOING TO HURT ME? YOU’RE PATHETIC.” Maxwell grimaced, this was the most childish he had ever seen the robot get.

“There’s clearly something wrong with you, why not get Wilson to take a look at your servos and sort them out for you, then you can leave me alone. Hm?” at the mention of Wilson’s name the robot perked up and scowled, their expression was full of malice.

“THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH MY PROGRAMMING, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO GAVE ME FAULTY ADVICE.” Wx yelled before pushing him again.

“What are you talking about? I haven’t said a word to you in weeks, you’re not exactly a pleasure to speak to.” 

“YOU. I ASKED YOU HOW TO GET THE SCIENTIST TO ENGAGE WITH ME ONCE MORE AND YOU TOLD ME TO ‘GIVE HIM YOUR UTMOST ATTENTION, HE LOVES IT.’ BUT YOU ARE WRONG!” they were fuming at this point. Maxwell blinked, trying to remember what the robot was prattling on about when he remembered. 

“Ah right, Wilson had been spending time with you, trying to ‘study’ you, before he decided it wasn’t worth it.” Maxwell said. Wx’s expression softened a bit, and their body no longer in an offense pose. “I recall you questioned me about it, citing how ‘close’ we used to be. You thought I could help you. Even if I could, I doubt you want to have the same closeness he and I shared, robot.” Maxwell continued, smiling at the memories he had shared with Higgsbury when they were still together. Wx frowned.

“YOU DON’T KNOW THAT.” they said, gripping their walking stick. Maxwell looked curiously at the robot.

“You do know  _ how  _ close we were, don’t you? You’re asking the wrong person for assistance, unless you want to get in his pants I can’t help you.” said Maxwell.

“MAYBE I ALREADY HAVE.” Wx said, face steadily glaring at him. Maxwell stared at Wx before he burst out laughing.

“Right, of course. If this is some practical joke, it isn’t funny. I regret the things I did to Higgsbury and I cherish our memories. I don’t need a sickly little automaton joking about having him when I don’t.” 

“IF YOU WANTED THE SCIENTIST FOR YOURSELF, WHY DID YOU GIVE ME THAT ADVICE THEN, EVEN IF IT WAS HORRIBLE ADVICE.”

“As though I actually imagined a mechanical  **monstrosity** had feelings for anyone much less  _ Wilson Percival Higgsbury _ , what exactly do you want me to say? Congratulations for growing a heart? I’m going to help you get together with my ex? It’s obvious you lack a brain because your head gasket is full of hot air.” he ranted as they continued to walk towards the cave entrance. Wx glared.

“THIS IS HOW I KNOW YOU’RE A MAN OF INSANITY, NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE EVEN TRUE. I DO NOT HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM, AND I DO NOT WANT TO ‘GET TOGETHER.’ I JUST NEED HIM! HOW CAN I GET WHAT I WANT IF ALL HE DOES IS RUN?” they said, stamping their feet as they walked.

“I didn’t think you had sexual capabilities, he can get aroused easily so I don’t think he would run from you if you told him how much you need him.”

“THAT! IS NOT! WHAT I MEAN!” they cried out, though they were blushing. 

“You just alluded to the fact that you’ve already done something with him, no?” Maxwell asked, intrigued. He didn’t think much of it, Wilson was a bit strange when it came to loving, and the robot was just a machine, not like it had any real feelings of its own. 

“IT’S NOT YOUR BUSINESS, FORGET ANY OF THAT. I NEED HIM TO MAKE ME NEW COMPONENTS. THE MECHANIC CAN FIX, BUT SHE DOES NOT INVENT. NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND AT ALL!” Wx yelled out, then bumped into Maxwell who had stopped. He turned around to face the robot, looking down at him from his snide position. 

“Listen automaton, there’s something you should understand about humans, I will help you out of the goodness of my heart.” he said, putting a gentle but condescending hand on their shoulder. “If you don’t tell someone the things you need and want from them they will never understand, ever. If you want Wilson, stop playing your little games and tell him.” he said, turning back around and nearing the cave entrance. Wx sat down in the dark, their headlamp illuminating the path ahead where Maxwell was already under the dimming light of the entrance. They sat there with their knees to their chest, they had known all along that blaming Maxwell wouldn’t help anything, but it was easy to blame a boogeyman rather than take responsibility for their actions and their  _ feelings _ . 

Maxwell gripped the rope before he noticed that there were no mechanical footsteps following him. He walked back to the automaton, standing over their small form. 

“What is it now? Don’t ask me to carry you, I am frail after all.” he said, smirking as Wx looked up at him. 

“I DO NOT NEED HELP. TAKE YOUR SHADOWS AND LEAVE, FALLEN KING.” Wx said, frowning at Maxwell. Maxwell rolled his eyes.

“You are more dramatic than anyone in this entire camp. It’s a wonder they haven’t gotten sick of you yet.” 

“I CAN SAY THE SAME FOR YOU, OLD MAN.” Wx said, Maxwell stayed staring at them for a bit longer.

“Well, do what you’d like. I’m exiting the caves now.” Maxwell said before he finally gripped the rope leading to the cave entrance and exited the caves. 

Wx stayed sitting for a bit longer before they exited the caves too, by the time they were out it was nighttime, they left their headlamp on and headed towards the camp. By the time they got there it looked like everyone was doing nightly activities, getting ready for bed, setting up jerky to dry, setting up traps. They put their stuff down and looked around, balling their hands up into fists. Maxwell was nowhere to be found, presumably already in his personal tent. Wx searched the camp, walking towards Wilson’s work area. He wasn’t there. They stared blankly, then glanced at the tents, maybe he was in there. They reached towards the tents then flinched, stepping back and continuing to look around. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for Wilson would ya?” they heard a friendly voice say, they turned around quickly to see the camp’s arsonist giving them a knowing smirk. 

“FIRESTARTER. I AM SIMPLY SURVEYING THE ENCAMPMENT.” Willow rolled her eyes. 

“We all notice how weird you’ve been acting. Don’t worry, I’m sure he can help you out, he may not be much of a scientist but he’s better than any of us.” she said. Wx frowned.

“WHY DOES EVERY FLESHLING SUDDENLY HAVE A DEGREE IN ROBOTICS? THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, I AM AT 100% OPTIMIZATION.” they said defensively. Willow wasn’t impressed.

“He’s doing some nighttime fishing, or ‘sleeping with the fishes,’ as he calls it.” she said, repeating his awful joke. Wx visibly flinched at it. “In the pond east of the camp.” she finished. Wx looked at Willow with a deadpan stare, their expression was softer than usual.

“THANK YOU.” they said, before walking off in that direction. Willow smiled to herself for a moment before the realization hit her like a train. DID THEY JUST SAY THANK YOU? There really must be something wrong, she rushed off to tell Winona right away.

Wx made it to the pond and saw Wilson calmly fishing with a lantern by his side, he was alone. They stared for a good bit, stepping forward but taking a step back. Luckily Wilson hadn’t noticed them yet so they could have an internal crisis over deciding whether to bother Wilson again or not. They stepped backwards and turned around, deciding to leave him alone.

That decision only lasted 2 seconds, as they rushed back and tackled Wilson, almost pushing him into the pond.

“WHAT IN THE-” he yelled with immense surprise, then straightened his stuff out. He looked up at his assailant and it was a smug robot grinning at him.

“Ugh, Wx, why do you insist on being so…” Wilson waved his hands around weirdly, trying to gesture. “Annoying.”

“WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO KNOW.” Wx said, sitting next to Wilson as he fished, they folded their legs one over the other. 

“Yes. I would. But I don’t think I’ll get an answer so I’ll just continue fishing. If you try to push me into the pond I’m dragging you in with me so don’t get any ideas.” Wx, who had his hands near Wilson’s back, flinched. They withdrew their hands and gave Wilson an innocent smile. Wilson gave Wx a quick look of disapproval before continuing his fishing. His legs were spread a bit and he had his pants rolled up so his feet could dangle in the water, not very smart what with all the strange creatures in this world but the ponds were relatively safe. Unless you were afraid of frogs. 

Wx sat close to Wilson, enough that their legs were touching. Wilson glanced over at them curiously, but didn’t say anything as they looked back at him. They reached down and put a hand on Wilson’s thigh. Wilson jumped and looked at Wx. They were looking at him intently. Wilson blushed as Wx massaged his leg, beginning at his thighs. He looked around, though there was obviously no one near them, though he was still embarrassed.

Wx moved their hand up and easily unzipped Wilson’s pants, scooching in closer to him and leaning their head on his shoulder. Wilson blushed, he put his fishing rod down and fiddled with his thumbs. 

“Wx..?” he nervously glanced over at them. They looked very cozy on him, and didn’t stop their hand from moving up and tugging Wilson’s pants down.

“WHAT.” they asked. Wilson gulped, he had been expecting Wx to do something to him for a few days, but not so … gently.

“N-Nothing… are you feeling ok?” he asked. Wx rolled their eyes.

“WHAT IF I SAID I WASN’T.” they rubbed and squeezed at Wilson’s crotch, turning their body a bit so they got a better angle. 

“I would suggest we go check your systems..?” Wilson said, squeezing his legs together. Wx raised an eyebrow at him. Wilson blushed and relaxed his legs, spreading them, knowing the look that Wx was giving him. 

“AND IF I SAY NO? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, PUNISH ME?” Wx asked, laughing at the thought.

“I could, I know your weaknesses and all.” Wilson said, leaning close to Wx and smirking smugly. Wx squeezed Wilson’s crotch roughly, leading the scientist to wince in surprise.

“DON’T TEST MY PATIENCE, SCIENTIST.” they said. Wilson blushed, he opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t find the words. Wx stared at the scientist with a blush on their face, they couldn’t find the right words either. They grabbed Wilson’s shoulders and pinned him to the ground, hovering over him on all fours. Wilson looked up at them expectantly. “ARE YOU NOT GOING TO WHINE LIKE USUAL?” they asked, placing a hand on Wilson’s face, and holding it as if they were expecting his brain. 

“I…” he gulps. “I don’t want to fight anymore.” he blushes and looks at Wx, who only looks at him with a confused look. “I’d like to be… friends?” Wilson asks shyly, looking up at Wx with an awkward smile. Wx scowled.

“YOU HAD THAT CHANCE, AND RUINED IT. NOW I DO WHAT I PLEASE.” they said, putting a hand on Wilson’s face and scratching the side of it, their fingers weren’t very sharp but it definitely led to some bleeding and a very red faced Wilson. The scientist hissed in pain and started to squirm.

“That really hurt! What is it huh?! Do you hate me?” Wilson asked, anger lighting up his face as Wx sat square on his hips. 

“AND IF I SAID I DO?” they asked, flicking Wilson’s forehead. 

“What is with all these hypotheticals? It almost feels like you want me to hurt you. Didn’t know you were into that.” he said, leaning back and grinning up at the robot. Wx rolled their eyes. 

“ARE YOU TRYING TO BE SEXY?” they asked, moving their body down and pressing it on Wilsons. Their faces were close. Wilson blushed again but kept his cool demeanor. 

“I wasn’t thinking of it that way, but if that’s the first word that comes to your head then I guess that’s just what you think of me, right? Maybe a robot can’t love but it can still be attracted to others?” Wilson looked a bit like he was calculating rather than being smug about it. Wx blushed and gripped Wilson’s collar, yanking it so that it felt very tight and uncomfortable around his neck. 

“YOU. ARE AGGRAVATING.” they hissed, centimeters from the scientists face, glaring into his eyes. Wilson studied the robot's cool metal exterior, he reached up slowly. Wx side eyed his hand. He placed a hand on Wx’s face, caressing it a bit. Wx looked confused, and was completely unsure how to react. Wilson searched the robot's face for malice, but there was only a strange confusion. He leaned up and pressed his lips on Wx’s mouth, they didn’t exactly have lips but it still wasn’t the worst kiss Wilson had ever had. Wx blushed and pushed Wilson’s chest, pinning him again to the ground.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING! D-DON’T DO THAT.” they were heating up, Wilson could even feel the change in temperature, he chuckled a bit.

“I didn’t even think you knew what kissing was.”

“OH SO YOU THOUGHT I DIDN’T KNOW SO YOUR FIRST THOUGHT IS TO DO THAT TO ME?” they sounded accusatory. Wilson blushed, they did have a point. 

“You’re right... sometimes I get so caught up in proving a theory or hypothesis that I fail to capture the human element, even if you’re not exactly human, I still think you’ve got some semblance of a heart in there. I apologize.” Wilson said, looking up at Wx. They looked down at him with a soft expression. Then leaned in and repeated the same motion Wilson had done just a second earlier, pressing their metal plate on Wilson’s face, in a kiss! Wilson closed his eyes and reached up again, this time holding the back of Wx’s head gently. Wx lowered themselves so they were laying on top of Wilson and the two locked mouths. Wilson hand wandered from the back of Wx’s head down across the length of their body, feeling every other piece of metal that was used to build them. Wx’s tongue found it’s way into Wilson’s mouth, he pressed his own against it and circled it tongue around theirs, though he was a little bit scared of getting shocked.

Wilson tugged off his own underwear in the midst of their kissing, setting his undergarments aside with the pants that Wx had taken off him earlier. His penis was already getting excited from the action, though Wx decided to move things along by wrapping their inner thighs around Wilson’s penis as they laid on top of him. They grinned at Wilson who could only give a bit of an awkward smile. They gyrated their hips around, the motion rubbing Wilson’s member between their thighs. He moaned into Wx’s mouth, the robot brought their hand around and gave Wilson’s ass a generous squeeze, leading to a yelp from the scientist, followed by a chuckle. Wx got up and brought Wilson with them, so they were both sitting up, then nestled their head under Wilson’s growing beard. Wilson put his arm around them, and leaned his head down on theirs. They reached their hand down and circled their finger around the tip of Wilson’s penis, using his precum as lube. Wilson bit his lip and looked at Wx. Wx leaned into Wilson, it looked like they would kiss again but instead were just looking into each other's eyes, their heads had no coherent thoughts between them, yet they pressed on.

Wx gently gripped Wilson’s shaft and squeezed up, gripping more tightly towards the head of his penis. Wilson continued to bite his lip and shut his eyes. He was giving Wx his total confidence… They continued this motion, moving their hand down his shaft in no particular motion, only squeezing on the upwards motion. They did this faster, until they noticed Wilson’s legs shuffle around. They continued the motion, but once again leaned up and pressed their face on Wilson’s, who immediately continued their kissing from before. They gripped and grabbed at each other until Wilson moaned loudly, though this was cut off by Wx’s other hand slapping onto his mouth to keep him from being too loud. Wilson had ejaculated all over Wx… again. Wilson was panting when he realized what had happened… again. He blushed and apologized profusely. Wx put their hand up to his face then finally broke the wordless passion of the night.

“JUST CLEAN IT.” they said, leaning back expectantly. Wilson blushed and nodded. 

“Yes Mx.” he said, taking out a wash rag and getting to work.


	8. I'm starting to get it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson gets told off by a child for being too unempathetic and he's gonna make it right with his robot buddy, if he can even call them that at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy yall, this ones got some smut but it's light, more to come and there's a big development at the end of this one!

The next day Wilson awoke in his tent, the two had bid each other farewell after their meeting at the pond and went to sleep in their own tents. Wilson rubbed at his chin, his beard had started to grow in a several days prior but Wx didn’t seem to mind when they had been kissing at least. He wondered if the robots nerve endings were sensitive enough to feel things like beard hair on their face.

He got up with a yawn and got out of his tent to wash up, the very same pond nearby was a good source of water, after being distilled. He blushed a bit remembering the night with Wx-78 just a few hours prior. Luckily no one had seen him any of the nights that he and Wx had had  _ a moment _ , at least he hoped no one had. 

He didn’t really understand it all, especially the fact that Wx didn’t have a heart, so how could they have attraction, and to him? Or maybe it was just pure curiosity, but the more he thought about it the more guilt he felt, like he was taking advantage of a being who didn’t exactly understand the consequences of their intimacies with the scientist. He supposed he could just ask, but he also thought about how that might offend them and he didn’t exactly feel like being clawed at again. 

As he approached the pond he saw a few of the other survivors washing up, they didn’t have to boil the water right next to the pond, but with how cold it was in the winter, it wasn’t worth the trek back and forth to get more water. He saw Wx, they didn’t really wash up more than just wiping themselves down. He perked up a bit and walked towards them.

“Hey!” he greeted. They slowly looked up towards him.

“HELLO SCIENTIST.” they replied. Wilson twiddled his thumbs a bit and sat near the fireplace they were occupying. 

“So...how are you?” 

“I AM FINE. WHY?” Wilson blinked. 

“Just making small talk...I was going to review my research notes today, would you care to join me?”

“NOT PARTICULARLY.” they replied, curtly rejecting him.

“Oh, why not?” he sheepishly asked. Wx grabbed their thermal stone, placing it on their person and stood up. They looked down at Wilson with a hand on their hip, raising an eyebrow.

“YOU REALLY ARE NOSY. I DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU AND I DON’T HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU, GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE.” they said as they walked away. The other survivors who were there had seen the exchange, though they didn’t think anything of it. Maxwell, who was helping his niece fix herself up, chuckled a bit after he saw that exchange. 

“There’s no changing that machine is there, Higgsbury?” he asked, shaking his head and smiling. 

“They’re … difficult.” replied Wilson, smiling at Maxwell. 

“Maybe you have difficulties dealing with things you don’t understand Mr. Wilson.” piped up Wendy from beneath the towel that Maxwell was using to dry her hair. Wilson looked curiously at Wendy, as did Maxwell.

“I try to understand them! I’ve spent more time with them than anyone else in this camp, I’m sure of it!” he said defensively. Abigail suddenly surrounded Wendy and blinked, her eyelashes fluttering about. She flew up to Wilson and shook her head.

“Lies lead the soul astray, how much do you believe you understand the robot?” Wendy asked. 

“I know they never leave me alone, which must mean they’re lonely but won’t say it.” Wilson said, annoyed with how cold Wx was this morning despite their intimacy just the night before. Abigail circled Wilson before leaning on his shoulder, her ghostly presence brought even more of a chill to him but she still had her childlike innocence that he didn’t want to disappoint, so he didn’t mind. 

“Webber and I accompany them to collect supplies, Winona is the one who polishes them every week, Wigfrid and Wx practice gruesome decapitation methods, Woodie and Walter tell them stories by the campfire, and Abi and I have seen Wx and Wormwood sit by the farm together.” Wendy said as Maxwell rubbed at her cheeks with the towel, making sure she was completely dry. 

“They’re rather brash but we spoke amicably when they accompanied me to the caves the other day. They don’t seem hostile to anyone but you Percival, though you do have that quality about you that makes it easy.” Maxwell said, smirking at Wilson. Wilson blushed and pouted.

“I didn’t know about all of that, I had always thought they bothered me because they craved my scientific knowledge! Like perhaps I was the only one who could understand them.” he said wistfully. Wendy's expression didn’t change, but Maxwell could sense the tension building in Wendy, he brushed at her hair. She looked back at him and leaned on her uncle for support. 

“Mr. Wilson, you treat things that aren’t human like experiments. You did it to Abigail when you first met her too.” Wendy started. Abigail looked at Wilson, her eyes were saddened to remember the truth. “The machine lacks a soul, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Relationships are not meant to be dissected. They should be cherished, while you still have them.” she continued, her eyes full of melancholy as she looked at Abigail. Abigail floated over to her side, disappearing into her flower. Wendy held the flower up to her cheek, holding it close to her. Maxwell placed a gentle and reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him once before she got up off the log and rushed away. Maxwell watched her silhouette as she ran, filled with grief thinking about the loss of his other niece, and guilt for his previous actions as king of the land. He straightened himself up and looked at Wilson, who also looked guilty, though for different reasons. 

“You’ll get it at some point Higgsbury.” he said, getting ready to make his exit. Wilson narrowed his eyes and scowled at him.

“Oh that’s very rich coming from you, you wouldn't know humanity if it hit you across the face.” he said, glaring at Maxwell. Maxwell looked sternly towards him, though he didn’t have a rebuttal. He chose to say nothing, and walked away from him, leaving Wilson alone at the firepit. It was low on fuel but he was left with a feeling of guilt and emptiness that he thought maybe he should just let himself freeze. He sighed.

Shaking his head, he left the fire pits after washing up and decided to seek out the robot, he wasn’t just going to let things go on like this. Regardless of them being a machine or not they clearly had needs, wants, desires, and those things should be communicated to people! He huffed around, gathering his winter gear when he was stopped again by Maxwell.

“Our perky little scientist, off to fix another-more accomplished-inventor’s machine?” he asked, looming over Wilson. 

“Be quiet, I’m not trying to fix them. I’m just trying to talk to them.” he said, looking like he was in quite a hurry too. 

“Do you even hear yourself, Higgsbury? It’s a machine, it can’t feel. I doubt it cares about what you say to it.”

“I don’t know William, maybe coming into this place granted it consciousness, maybe it always had it. Or you could be right and we’re all just getting attached to this  _ thing  _ that can’t feel and can’t care about us. But maybe it can care, and I  _ hypothesize _ , that they do.” he said with a smirk. Maxwell scowled but stepped aside. Wilson finished getting ready and set off for the wilderness. 

He walked towards the little camp that he had built several weeks ago to escape the very same automaton he was looking for now. He arrived at the location marked on his map, it looked like the tent was gone. There was evidence of a firepit being tampered with, and the ground looked beaten. “What happened here?…” he said aloud as he wondered, perhaps hounds had smelled evidence of food or a stray beefalo ran this way.

“I DESTROYED IT.” said the one he was looking for, several feet away, collecting mushrooms in the area. Wilson perked up, not immediately reacting to what they said.

“Hey! I’ve been looking for you.” he said with a smile, heading towards them. Wx-78 turned to him, sharply, and glared. Wilson stepped back a bit in surprise.

“DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME? I DESTROYED YOUR LITTLE CAMP. ON PURPOSE.” they repeated. Wilson finally processed what they said and blinked.

“Oh… Why?” he wondered, though he hadn’t used it in a bit, he wasn’t sure he left anything here.

“BECAUSE I WANTED TO. LEAVE ME.” they said, stomping on the ground where the tent once stood. Wilson stepped back a bit and sighed.

“I…” he started, Wx looked up at him. “I don’t want to.” he said, smirking as he teased Wx. They blinked and scowled at him.

“WELL I WANT YOU TO.”

“Yeah, well I don’t want to. So you can’t make me.” he walked over to Wx, they didn’t back away or anything, but they looked annoyed. They had their arms crossed and didn’t look at Wilson. 

“Will you walk with me back to the base? The thermal stones will probably run out soon.” he asked them.

“I DO NOT EXPERIENCE COLD AS QUICKLY AS YOU DO, I WILL TAKE MY TIME.” they said, as they started to walk back to the base. Wilson caught up and walked next to them. 

“I uh… don’t know if you brought food with you or anything, so I grabbed one of these from the fridge, I know they’re your favorite.” Wilson said, as he held up a butter muffin to Wx.

“THEY ARE, MAKING THEM REQUIRES KILLING AN INNOCENT CREATURE.” they said, grabbing the muffin from Wilson’s hand.

“All the meat dishes are the same, you have to kill innocent creatures to create them…” he said, not understanding the robots logic. Wx looked around for an answer, they shrugged.

“IT’S PLEASING TO MY EYES.” they said, eating the muffin in one bite. Wilson laughed at this explanation, walking close to Wx as they were heading back. Wx looked at Wilson for a moment before looking back at the path. There was tension in the air, they were both wanting to say something but didn’t want to be the one to start. They kept exchanging looks as they walked, but still neither could bring anything up, Wilson thought obviously he was the one who should and yet he felt his throat was freezing up, like his vocal chords were icing over in his body. He brought his hands up to his mouth and blew hot breath onto them to warm them. Wx watched this but said nothing. They stood closer to Wilson as the two walked, Wilson could feel the very slight heat radiating off of Wx, as a machine who was always operating at high capacity they radiated heat more easily. Wilson looked at Wx and said nothing, only leaning on them a bit as they walked. The rest of the walk was silent, and they finally arrived back at the camp by noon. It looked like everyone was around the fire pits or in the tents at the moment, though they were still greeted warmly upon entering. 

“So that’s where you went off to, we were supposed to have breakfast together ya tin can!” Winona said, putting her arm around Wx. They rolled their eyes then looked at Wilson. 

“IF I HADN’T COME FOR THIS ONE, HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN LOST AND FROZE TO DEATH. THE POOR SCIENTIST CAN’T NAVIGATE TO SAVE HIS LIFE.” he said, smirking maliciously. Wilson looked surprised and offended, as well as embarrassed.

“Th-That’s not true! I left camp AFTER you!” he said, stomping his foot. 

“YOU’RE LYING.” they said, crossing their arms. Winona shrugged.

“Yeah I didn’t see you around the whole morning Wils.” she said.

“What! Oh you are just so aggravating.” he said, sighing. Wx rolled their eyes.

“I WILL HAVE TO ‘PASS’ ON THE BREAKFAST, MECHANIC. I HAVE ENOUGH SUSTENANCE IN MY BODY AT THE MOMENT, NO NEED TO WASTE ANY FOOD. BUT I WILL FIND YOU AT DINNER.” they said, gently breaking away from Winona’s grasp.

“Oh, no problem Wix, i’ll just ask Wiggy and Willow.” she said with a smile. Wilson looked curiously at Winona for her excessive use of nicknames but she was just affectionate like that. She went off before Wx could protest at being called Wix, leaving the two alone once more. The tension immediately filled the air again, Wx crossed their arms and tapped their fingers. They groaned and started to head off alone before Wilson grabbed their wrist. They immediately turned to scowl at him.

“Sorry!” he said, letting go of Wx. “I want to talk, please.” he said, practically begging.

“MAYBE IF YOU BEG.” they said, placing their hands on their hips and smirking. Wilson raised an eyebrow. He raised his hands and placed them on Wx’s shoulders.

“Or I can do this.” he said with a mischievous grin. Wx looked at Wilson oddly before Wilson leaned in close and placed his lips on Wx’s face, but instead of a kiss he blew out air, raspberrying the robot.

“AUGH, STOP! THIS IS UNPLEASANT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING. CEASE. CEASE!” they said, blushing and flailing their arms. Wilson wrapped his arms around Wx to hold himself steady as they flailed, laughing the entire time. Wx placed their hands on Wilson’s hips in an attempt to move him away. Wilson yelped as Wx’s cold hands touched a bit of his skin that was showing from his shirt. Wx blinked and smirked. “REVENGE.” they said as they placed their hands on Wilson’s waist, having to lift his shirt a bit to do so. Wilson laughed but squealed at the contact.

“Stop! That’s freezing, you are made of metal!” he said in between laughs. Wx didn’t realize they were also tickling him as they were putting their hands on him to make him yelp. 

“NO, I DON’T THINK I WILL.” they said teasingly.

“Ok, ok! You win, s-stop please, I can barely take it!” he pleaded, letting his weight go on Wx, who easily picked him up and placed him back on his feet. He smiled down at Wx, a gentle and genuine smile, Wx was expressionless as they saw him smile. After a bit Wilson wondered if he did something wrong. “What is it?” he asked.

“NOTHING. I’M GOING TO MY TENT, THE ONE ON THE END...CLOSEST TO THE FIREPLACE. BUT STILL FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT THE CHILD WITH THE DOG DOESN’T WAKE ME UP EVERY MORNING FOR A FIRE DRILL. THAT ONE.” they blushed a bit, embarrassed that they had kept that sentence going for so long. “GOODBYE.” they said as they rushed away from Wilson. Wilson laughed to himself before turning around and getting scared half to death by Wendy suddenly appearing behind him.

“Good Lord! W-Wendy?!” 

“Good day Mr. Wilson. Abigail and I are pleased to see you’ve taken our words to heart. It looks like you and Wx were having fun.” she said, she didn’t look very pleased but he learned to take her word for it by now. 

“Good gracious, did it? Er... I am doing my best, promise.” he said, face blushing but with a smile, looking at Wendy then at Abigail who spun around cheerily. 

“Good.” Wendy said before she walked away. Wilson nodded then looked around realizing he hadn’t really planned for the rest of the day. He was going to review his research notes but now he was feeling distracted. He looked over at his workstation, Wx was sated for attention, he could do some research. He started to walk towards the workstation then his eyes wandered to the last tent, close but not too close to the fireplace. They didn’t invite him in, but they had been so specific about the tent, maybe there was something they wanted to discuss. Or maybe they just wanted to lull him into a false sense of security, so they could hurt him in the privacy of their tent. Maybe they just wanted to yell at him, he didn’t know, couldn’t know, but towards the tent he walked. He stood in front of the tent and leaned down. 

“Wx? I know we just saw each other…” he started. He heard shuffling from inside but Wx wasn’t coming out. “I…” he continued, scratching the back of his neck, and lowering his voice a bit. “I wanted to know if you wanted company.” he finished. Wx poked their head out of the tent. 

“IT IS FREEZING OUT THERE, DO NOT MAKE ME COME OUTSIDE. JUST COME IN. BUT STOKE THE FIRE FIRST, MINION.” they said, before popping their head back into their tent. Wilson rolled his eyes and went to the fireplace, adding more logs and poking it a bit with some twigs to let more oxygen in, then throwing the twig into the fire too. He made his way back to the tent and let himself in where he saw Wx sewing up one of the Tam O’ Shanter hats. 

“Is that one yours? I thought Wickerbottom was the one who liked to sew around here.” he laughed. Wx raised an eyebrow and scowled. 

“I LEARNED FROM HER, SHE IS KNOWLEDGEABLE IN MANY THINGS. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE FLESHLINGS ARE USEFUL AS THE SUM OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE. EACH ONE SPECIALIZING IN A PARTICULAR FIELD. I USED TO HOPE I COULD DESTROY AT LEAST ONE OF YOU. BUT IT TURNS OUT YOU ARE ALL USEFUL TO ME IN DIFFERENT WAYS.” they said, in their mind this was idle conversation, though Wilson was a bit perturbed by it. 

“It sounds kind of like you’re saying that you’ve come to appreciate each of us for what we bring to the table, and while your wording is a bit Disturbing I think that’s very sweet.” he said, scooching closer to Wx as they sewed. “So what do I bring to the table? Dashing good looks? A gentlemanly personality? Ingenious experiments?” he said teasingly. Wx narrowed their eyes as they looked at him, then grabbed both his cheeks with their hand, squeezing them. Wilson blushed as his cheeks were squished. 

“A GROSS BEARD.” they said, smirking at Wilson before going back to their sewing. Wilson rubbed at his own beard.

“Aw, is it that bad? I’ve been trimming it. I think it makes me look ruggish.” he said, looking at his reflection on his razor. 

“IT JUST MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVEN’T SHAVED.” they said, looking at Wilson. 

“But it frames my face quite nicely.” he said, matter of factly. 

“I THINK YOU LOOK BETTER WITHOUT IT.” they said, putting their hat away as they finished sewing it. Wilson blinked. 

“Wait, so. You think I look good normally then?” he asked. Wx froze up, they turned slowly to look at Wilson, who started to grin mischievously. 

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT. I MEAN YOU LOOK BAD USUALLY, BUT WORSE WITH THE BEARD!” they said, though they didn't look Wilson in the eyes. 

“Atatat, you said I look better without it, and better means the initial state is good. You think I look good! Superior automaton approved looks, I shall put that in my accomplishments thank you very much.” he said, leaning close to Wx as he teased them. 

“YOU…” they growled out, blushing and gripping Wilson’s shoulders as they shook him violently. Wilson got dizzy very fast and leaned on Wx while he tried to get his bearings. Wx held him steady and then looked at him with a softer expression. “YOU BEING IN HERE IS A SURPRISE TO ME.” they said. Wilson looked at Wx, searching their expression for emotion.

“Why is that?” he asked. They looked at Wilson, as if they wanted to say something, but shrugged instead. The two grew silent, the wind was humming outside and they could hear the fireplace crackle nearby. Wilson took a deep breath. “Wx-78.” he said, getting their attention. “I want to apologize, for real this time.” he said, turning towards the robot. Wx looked confused. “I’ve misjudged you, I’ve made assumptions, and … although you have been quite violent to me, I haven’t made the effort to understand you. I was hoping you would just leave me alone forever, that you wouldn’t be my problem to deal with anymore. As if I was so important that I felt I had ownership over you. I was being just as thoughtless as-...” he didn’t finish that sentence, he didn’t want to think about his previous relationship. Wx reached their hand out, they flinched a bit and faltered, then they took a breath and put a reassuring hand on Wilson’s. Wilson and Wx locked eyes, understanding shared between them. Wx gripped his hand, a bit tightly, actually it was starting to hurt. “Ow- ah… Wx…” he winced in pain. Wx loosened their grip slightly, but they looked strained.

“I. AM. ALSO SORRY.” they blurted out. Wilson blinked.

“Come again?” he asked. Wx let out a noise of frustration, blushing and gripping Wilson’s hand too tightly again. 

“I SAID I’M SORRY. I DON’T WANT TO APOLOGIZE BUT I AM REWARDING YOUR GOOD BEHAVIOR WITH BEHAVIOR THAT I KNOW YOU ALSO WANT.” they said, still blushing and looking huffy. Wilson blinked again. 

“That’s… not how it works, you should apologize when you actually feel sorry.” he said, rolling his eyes.

“OH. WELL IN THAT CASE I DO NOT APOLOGIZE, I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG.” they said, matter of factly. 

“What? What about all of the times you’ve physically injured me within the past two months, and the emotional distress!” 

“AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, WHICH I AM AWARE AND I DO REMEMBER, YOU ENJOYED EVERY TIME WE’VE BEEN  _ INTIMATE _ . THE PHYSICAL INJURIES WERE YOUR OWN FAULT FOR DISOBEYING YOUR SUPERIOR.” they said, leaning over Wilson, he was being backed onto the floor for a while now and hadn’t noticed. 

“That is not true! I… I could say the same for you! Why would you engage in sexual activity with me? You obviously couldn’t keep your hands off me, leading to your physical violence, therefore it is your fault.” he said, leaning on his elbows on the floor as Wx crawled on top, glaring down at him. 

“IF YOU’RE THE ONE WHO ENJOYS IT THEN IT’S YOUR PROBLEM.” they said, pinning Wilson down on the ground. Wilson huffed and glared up at Wx. 

“You’re saying you don’t enjoy it at all? Even a little? Because for someone who has done it more than once I find that very hard to believe.” he said, slowly starting to realize the position he was in. 

“I ENJOY THE POWER THAT COMES WITH IT. KNOWING IT DRIVES YOU CRAZY IS A BONUS.” they smirked down at Wilson, sitting on his hips. Oh he knew where this was going. 

“And why does driving me crazy count as a bonus? Maybe I really am special to you after all. I had convinced myself I wasn’t but here you are proving me wrong.” he said, challenging Wx’s gaze as he looked up at them. Wx blushed and looked frustrated, the more they spoke the more annoyingly bold Wilson was becoming. 

“YOU-YOU’RE THE ONE ATTRACTED TO A MACHINE, SCIENTIST.” they said, their face still full of blush. Wilson blushed and sputtered indignantly. 

“W-We.. Well you’re the one who’s attracted to a scientist attracted to a robot, Automaton.” he said with a smirk. 

“I. AM. NOT.” they glared, bringing their face closer to Wilson’s to glare at him. Wilson leaned on his elbows, reaching up with his head and bringing his face forehead to forehead with the bot. Wilson thought back on their previous night at the pond, where they had kissed, his eyes wandered to the robot's mouth but he looked back up at them.

“Ok, well FINE!  _ I’m _ not afraid to say it, yes I am attracted to you. I’m a scientist, I enjoy a well built machine. This machine just happens to have a mouth to kiss and legs to wrap around you, take me to the asylum then!” Wilson said exasperatedly, at this point Wx sitting on his hips was starting to frustrate him. Wx blinked and laughed.

“YOU’RE…” they started, smiling maliciously. Wilson squinted, waiting for the worst. “STRANGE.” Wx finished, smiling at Wilson, it was a soft and full smile, that made Wilson look in awe for the moment it existed, before it was replaced with their signature smirk. 

They held Wilson’s face in their hand, gripping his cheeks before leaning down and locking lips with him. Wilson wasted no time in intertwining his legs with his companions, gripping the back of their head for support as the two swirled their tongues around the others. Wilson could swear he felt a spark in his mouth just then, like drinking volt milk, weird but not unpleasant. He let his other hand glide down the smooth metallic back of the automaton, even if they could feel it or not, at least he enjoyed it. They pressed down on Wilson as the two kissed, grinding their hips on his, he gasped in surprise then chuckled a bit. Wx blushed and pouted.

“WHAT’S SO FUNNY?” they asked. Their question only made Wilson laugh more. “WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING!” they asked louder, gripping Wilsons shirt collar and glaring at him. Wilson stopped laughing and grinned at Wx.

“It’s just that you’re so...mmm…” he was searching for the words. Wx pressed their forehead on his as they glared at him. “Violent? Brash? Intense. But you’re also a surprisingly good lover.” he said, reaching up and caressing their face. Wx stared at Wilson and started to turn red, they squeezed his collar as they had him held up by it.

“JUST SHUT UP!” they said loudly, throwing Wilson down on the ground and pressing their mouth on his again. He kissed Wx, gripping their shoulders he started to push back on them, they didn’t protest and allowed Wilson to push them onto their back. They looked up at him with a bored stare. “NOW WHAT, GENIUS?” they asked. Wilson hadn’t really thought this far, he realized that Wx didn’t actually have any genitalia or anything resembling it. 

“I don’t know, I realize now every time we’ve been together you just pleasure me, right? I’ve never even thought about you. Oh I’m an awful lover aren’t I?” Wilson ranted, feeling newfound guilt. Wx blushed and squinted.

“STOP SAYING LOVER. I DON’T LOVE YOU.” 

“Ouch, it’s just a word for when two people-”

“NOT A PERSON.”

“For when two conscious and consenting beings engage in sexual acts.” Wilson said, annoyed with Wx for dragging this out and annoyed that he was sitting above a robot, with an erection, arguing pedantics about the word lover. Wilson, in a bout of frustration, lifted Wx up to a sitting position by the shoulders.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE-” they started before Wilson covered their mouth.

“Hush.” he said, or rather, demanded. Wx still looked annoyed but obliged, whether out of curiosity or respect, it was enough for Wilson. He took off his pants and undergarments then sat down, gripping Wx’s hips he picked them up and placed them atop his lap. Wx blushed now sitting on Wilson’s lap, they looked back at him curiously. Wilson leaned his head in between Wx’s neck and shoulder, placing soft kisses along it. They didn’t say anything, fiddling with their fingers as Wilson squeezed their hips. He gripped at their thighs and spread them, making room for his penis in between them, it bounced as it was freed from under their legs. Wx looked down at it and laughed.

“HAHA, LOOK, I HAVE A PENIS.” they grinned. Wilson rolled his eyes. He gripped Wx’s hips again, and pushed and pulled them up and down so their thighs were stimulating his penis, they were thick enough, especially for a robot, though he supposed the extra insulation is what helped them survive winter much better than the other survivors. He bounced them on his dick, gripping their whole torso with his arms and not bothering to be careful, they blushed and got flustered, covering their face with their hands. Wilson continued to kiss up Wx’s neck and smiled behind them. 

“Are you getting flustered by this? It’s kind of endearing.” he said in between panting as he got himself off using Wx’s thighs. Wx continued to blush and stayed silent. They shut their eyes as their thighs slapped against Wilson's lap. Wilson was panting as he bounced Wx up and down on his dick, it was tough work, they were heavy. He thrusted up and gripped Wx tightly, they clenched their legs together knowing that was going to make this go faster. Wilson moaned behind them as he continued to bounce them up and down until he thrusted forcefully one more time, biting his lip to keep from making too much noise and ejaculating on Wx’s thighs. His grip loosened as his legs trembled and he panted behind Wx. They looked down, annoyed at the mess, and immediately got off of Wilson’s lap. “Er… sorry again.” Wilson said awkwardly.

“I EXPECTED IT.” Wx said, and laid their legs out for Wilson to clean up his mess. After Wilson situated himself he took out a washrag and began to do so. Wx tapped their fingers on the ground, glancing at Wilson every so often.

“What is it?” he asked. They flinched and looked away with a blush but slowly turned their head back to look at him. 

“WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?” they asked.

“What does what feel like?” Wilson asked.

“THIS. THE. PLEASURE THING.” Wx asked, squinting at Wilson for not being smarter about what they were asking. 

“Oh. Well.” Wilson began, he blushed. “It’s hard to describe, but it’s a feeling that courses through your whole body, if you let it.” Wx perked up.

“LIKE PAIN?” they asked excitedly. 

“No. I suppose it can turn into pain very easily, and for some there’s a certain level of exterior pain that’s pleasurable. But it’s still different. Where pain tells your body something is wrong and to remove the painful stimuli, pleasure is the opposite. You want more of it, your body tells you this is good.” Wx rocked their feet back and forth on the ground using the ball of their heel. They looked at Wilson curiously.

“WHY DO ORGANICS HAVE IT BUT I DON’T?” they asked, almost accusingly. 

“Well the biological purpose is to procreate, though some argue this isn’t true because there are various methods of pleasuring that don’t involve the process of procreation. It doesn’t serve as particularly necessary to survival, like pain or hunger do, so your creator must not have thought to include it in your programming.” Wilson ranted, Wx looked bored but it seemed like they were listening enough.

“WHAT IF I WANTED IT?” they asked. Wilson looked at them curiously.

“The ability to feel pleasure?” Wilson asked.

“YES.” they confirmed. Wilson thought about it, this would be an excellent way to study Wx’s body, and it was them bringing it up, so it wouldn’t be a case of him being nosy. Though perhaps the others would wonder what they were up to, would they be okay with letting everyone know this? They didn’t seem to understand the implications of what they were doing with Wilson, yet at the same time… They only did anything with him privately, so they must have an idea about it. Wilson was stuck thinking about this for a while enough so that Wx snapped their fingers in his face. “CEASE YOUR BRAIN MUSINGS AND SPEW THEM TO ME, USELESS SCIENTIST.” 

“Oh, sorry. I think it would be possible to do this, perhaps with some reference material from Wicker’s library… Building genitalia is easy enough, after all I’ve seen plenty in my time.” he said so confidently.

“NO YOU HAVEN’T.” they said. Wilson deflated.

“Ok, I’ve seen two… including my own. But what do you suppose I do?”

“WHY NOT TAKE REFERENCE FROM THE OTHER FLESHLINGS AT CAMP?” they asked, innocently enough. Wilson blushed wildly.

“A-Are you mad?! I-I-I can’t do that! There are emotions attached to things like this, it’s not so simple!” 

“I FEEL NO EMOTION WHEN WE ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY.” they rolled their eyes.

“Yes well you’re not an organic, if I traipse around trying to offer sexual favors to people they’ll think I’m a tramp!” Wx reached out and gripped Wilsons cheeks.

“AREN’T YOU? SLEEPING AROUND WITH SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T LOVE YOU?” they asked, smirking. Wilson blushed and glared.

“No. I… I mean. Well if I am then you are too.” he huffed. Wx laughed. “I will see what I can do. But this will involve experimentation, and spending a lot of time with me, is that really what you want?” he asked with a sly smile.

“YOU ARE DENSE.” they said, offering no other explanation. Wilson dropped it. 

“What about the others, if they ask what we’re doing?” 

“I DO NOT CARE ABOUT WHAT FLESHLINGS THINK OF ME, I’M THEIR SUPERIOR. BUT IF IT CALMS YOUR FEEBLE MIND WE WILL SIMPLY GIVE LESS DETAILS, YOU ARE GIVING ME MODIFICATIONS. THAT IS ALL THEY NEED TO KNOW.” Wilson nodded as Wx spoke.

“That’s actually quite ingenious, do you really want to do this?” he asked, making sure. Wx was pensive, they looked around then at Wilson, they nodded.

“YES.” they confirmed, Wilson could barely contain his glee, finally all his questions about them would be answered. 

“Well then let’s get to work right away!” he said, stepping outside for a moment before he came back in with his teeth chattering. “After we put on some more clothes.” he said, realizing he never put his pants back on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i definitely love reading the smut where wx already has genitals but in my case i dont feel like wagstaff would have built them with it so in this story it's wilsons fault, if wagstaff ever gets added to dst higgsburys gonna have lots of explaining to do


	9. I STILL DON'T TRUST YOU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson decides to help Wx out in the sex department, but they're not exactly ready to open up to Wilson yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no smut in this one, and kind of a short chapter, i realized i could have put it in the previous chapter but I didn't and i didnt want to edit it so i'm just making it a smaller update chapter lol

After preparing to go outside the two left Wx’s tent together, this caught the eye of Walter, who was checking to make sure their tent was still clear of fire hazards.

“Hello Mr. Wilson, Mx. Wx!” he saluted and greeted the two. 

“Hello there Walter, Woby.” Wilson greeted. Woby barked up at Wilson and wagged her tail. He reached down to pet her as she wagged her tail. Wx rolled their eyes. 

“SALUTATIONS LITTLE HUMAN WHO IS TOO CONCERNED WITH THE FLAMMABILITY OF MY LIVING QUARTERS. WHY NOT BOTHER THE FIRE STARTER?” they asked accusingly. 

“Oh trust me, I keep a  _ close  _ eye on her!” he said, squinting and putting his hands on his hips as Woby growled in the direction of Willow’s tent. 

“Right, well keep up the good work Walter!” Wilson said as he looked towards his work station. 

“Why were you and Wx-78 coming out of their tent together?” he asked. Walter was a little bit older than Wendy and Webber so he probably suspected something already. Wilson blushed, Wx only crossed their arms and looked at Wilson.

“Er, What do you mean, we’re friends!” 

“NO WE AREN’T.” said Wx. 

“Whose side are you on?!” said Wilson exasperatedly. Walter looked at them curiously but shrugged. 

“Just be careful of that fire hazard Mr. Wilson, Wx has a metal exterior that would at least protect  _ their  _ skin from melting off but  _ you  _ don’t!” he said matter of factly. 

“...Right, I’ll be careful, thank you Walter, Woby.” he said, saluting Walter, who grinned and rushed off with Woby, presumably to bother Willow. Wilson sighed. “Close call.” he said to Wx. They shrugged.

“WHY?” they asked.

“Well… if Walter knew what we were up to he might tell everyone else, right?” 

“I DON’T CARE.” Wx said, waving their hand around.

“Well I care, I’ve worked very hard to earn the respect of the other survivors and I don’t want to lose that now because a robot wants to experience the magic of sex.” he said, whispering the last part. Wx scoffed.

“YOU THINK THEY RESPECT YOU? THAT’S THE FUNNIEST JOKE YOU’VE EVER MADE.” they said, smirking as they walked past him towards his work station. Wilson sighed.

“I knew that was coming.” he said as he walked with the robot.

Upon arriving at his workstation Wx saw the various machines about and crossed their arms. They looked at them and picked up some of Wilson’s notes.

“THESE NOTES ARE ILLEGIBLE.” they said, squinting as they tried to read Wilson’s chicken scratch writing. Wilson snatched up the notes.

“No snooping eyes to read precious plans, write them in a way that only you may understand.” he said in a sing-song voice, fixing up the papers into a neat pile. Wx rolled their eyes. They looked around for someplace to sit and saw a small crude wooden table, it looked like it had been bitten into shape. There was a tray with various tools atop it that Wx promptly pushed off. They sat on top of the table and looked directly at Wilson to check his reaction. “Luckily I had imagined you would do something like this so I’m not perturbed, and that’s a perfect spot to sit too!” he said happily. Wx frowned, they were hoping to annoy him but oh well. They kicked their feet on the wooden seating and looked at Wilson curiously.

“WILL THIS HURT?” they asked.

“Most likely, I have to see what stimulus your code responds to in order to program a new one, and one of those is pain, correct?” 

“YES… THOUGH THE PAIN I FEEL IS NOT THE SAME AS THE PAIN YOU FLESHLINGS FEEL.” they said triumphantly. 

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Wilson said as he donned his lab attire. Wx narrowed their eyes at him.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” 

“Well, Maxwell told me your inventor was brilliant, on par with or even surpassing me! If he truly was that brilliant then basic human stimuli would be easy enough for him to recreate artificially. I mean why on earth would he program a machine to feel hunger, correct? There must have been a deeper reason, even he couldn’t have been cruel enough to program a machine that could only feel pain.” Wilson pondered as he reached towards Wx’s chassis. Wx instinctively held their arms close and leaned down, preventing Wilson from getting any closer. “Wx, I need to access your chassis to get a closer look.” he said.

“RIGHT. JUST DON’T MESS ANYTHING UP.” Wx said, lifting their defenses for a moment. When Wilson got near again, Wx gripped his wrist.

“Ow! Wx!” Wx was glaring, then their expression softened and they let go of Wilson.

“I DON’T TRUST YOU.” they said, crossing their arms together and folding one leg over the other, looking away from Wilson. Wilson reached his hand down and out of view of Wx. He picked up the weapon he had used on Wx all those weeks ago, with a high enough voltage he could just shut the automaton off so he could poke around all he liked. He looked down at his hand. “WHAT?” Wx asked, looking at Wilson curiously. Wilson dropped the weapon and reached his hands back up.

“Nothing.” Wilson said. “It’s okay, we don’t have to do anything yet, this can be at your own pace.” he continued. Wx’s body language changed, they looked less defensive, but still reserved. Wilson put his fingers up to his chin and stroked his beard pensively. He snapped his fingers. “Ah, I know! How about we first take a look at Wickerbottom’s biology book and you can get a closer look at what you’re going to deal with?” 

“CAN I NOT JUST STUDY YOURS?” Wx asked. Wilson blushed and cleared his throat.

“I suppose, but there are other genitalia present to humans, and even a penis can look different from human to human so-” he adjusts his goggles. “-it’s best to get an outside perspective.” Wx looked pensive and nodded.

“VERY WELL, FETCH THE BOOK MINION.” they said. Wilson nodded.

“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back shortly.” he said, taking off his rubber gloves and heading off to find Wickerbottom. 

He was still in his lab getup so when he finally found Ms. Wickerbottom in the middle of teaching Wurt to write, the little merm got frightened and hid behind her. Wilson flinched and stepped back. Wickerbottom looked surprised and then looked sternly at Wilson.

“Higgsbury, mind your manners!” she turned to Wurt behind her and gently coaxed her out. “Come now, it’s okay. It’s only Mr. Higgsbury, he wears special clothes when he’s working!” she smiled gently at Wurt as she came out of hiding.

“Science man!” she smiled shyly at Wilson. Wickerbottom shook her finger.

“Mr.” she said.

“Mister.” Wurt repeated.

“Higgsbury.” she finished.

“Hibbury.” Wurt said, confidently. Wickerbottom smiled, she was still learning after all. 

“Very good, Wurt, you’re very smart.” she said, patting Wurt gently. Wurt beamed and sat next to Wickerbottom affectionately.

“Me smarter than science man!” she giggled and picked up a book, continuing her writing lesson on her own as Wickerbottom finally directed her attention to Wilson. Wilson meanwhile looked like he was about to cry. 

“Oh, what’s wrong Higgsbury?” she asked.

“Nothing, that was just very heartwarming.” he said. Wickerbottom smiled and patted the ground next to her. Wilson looked a bit sheepish but sat down next to her anyways as Wurt hummed along and continued her studying. 

“What can I help you with, Higgsbury?” she asked as she put her books aside.

“Well actually, I’m wondering if you perhaps have that book on human anatomy that you mentioned once.” he asked. Wickerbottom looked at Wilson’s lab attire and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. 

“I certainly hope you’re not trying to experiment on our dearest Wendy again.” 

“No, No! Of course not, I just need it for a… friend?” Wickerbottom wasn’t convinced.

“A Friend? What Friend here could possibly have use for a book like that?” Wurt noticed Wickerbottom’s stern tone and glared at Wilson. Wilson laughed awkwardly.

“Ok fine, you’ve twisted my arm. I intend on modifying some of Wx’s functions, with their permission of course, and I figured since they were based off of a human that I could use a refresher on human anatomy.” he said confidently. Ms. Wickerbottom continued to stare at him for a bit before she nodded. 

“If you assure you have their permission, though I will be confirming that with them later, then you’re free to peruse my copy of ‘ _ Your body has quirks, and them’s the works. _ ’” she looked through her storage chest and took it out. Wurt peeked over at the book and tilted her head. “This book is a bit too advanced for you at the moment Wurt, but perhaps in the future.” she said, handing the book to Wilson. Wurt pouted but nodded and went back to her work. Wilson beamed with the book in his hand.

“Thank you Ms. Wickerbottom! I will return this as soon as I have fully taken notes. Good luck on your studies Miss Wurt.” he said as he bid them both adieu. Wickerbottom waved and Wurt looked up to wave too.

“Bye Funny hair, florp!” she said and giggled as Wilson walked away. 

He returned to his workstation only to find Wx… wasn’t there. He groaned. Obviously they left! He must have only left for 5 minutes but already they were gone. He looked around curiously before he went to Wx’s tent and checked inside. They were sitting inside their tent, looking like they were falling asleep.

“Hey!” said Wilson, jostling the bot awake. 

“UGH. WHAT!” they said, a little peeved at their nap being disturbed.

“I thought I said it would only take a moment.” he said, holding the book up in his hand. 

“YOUR MOMENT IS MORE LIKE 20 MINUTES, THAT IS NOT A MOMENT. YOU DO REALIZE IT IS COLD OUTSIDE? WHY SHOULD I SIT AND WAIT FOR YOU IN THE COLD?” they said, covering themselves up in their fur bedroll. Wilson’s eye twitched and he took a deep breath to speak but stopped and let out the breath before he continued. 

“Fine. Like I said, this is at your pace so take the time you need, I’ll return later.” he said, about to take the book with him.

“WAIT.” Wx said, reaching their hand out to Wilson. Wilson looked back at them curiously. Wx put their hand down. “READ IT TO ME.” they demanded. Wilson stared at them.

“The whole thing? It’s pretty long, and boring, it’s mostly about regular human anatomy. I don’t think you need to know all of it.” 

“I DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR OPINION, I DEMANDED YOU READ IT TO ME.” they said as they cozied up in their fur roll again. Wilson sighed and stepped further into the tent, taking off his goggles so he could see more clearly, he opened the book up to the first page. 

“ _ Your body has quirks, and them’s the works _ , written and illustrated by-” 

“GET ON WITH IT.” they said, clearly not caring about due credit. Wilson sighed and rolled his eyes. He began to read from the first chapter, stopping to show Wx the illustrations when they came up, and reading the captions for them. It only took about 20 minutes until Wx was fast asleep. 

“-and when you reach that age comes the hair…” Wilson was reading until he heard deep breathing. He looked around and noticed Wx had fallen asleep. He figured this would happen but he wasn’t that upset about it. He closed the book and looked at the robot, they looked so peaceful as they slept. His eyes crept down to their chassis, if he could keep them asleep then he could possibly take a look. 

But he shook his head, no, they would most likely wake up and kill him if he tried. He also really didn’t want Wx to hate him, considering they were going to be working together with him for this project for the foreseeable future. He tapped his fingers on his knees and returned his gaze to Wx’s face. 

They were able to make expressions, they could kiss, they ate, and they felt pain. Maybe they didn’t have a physical soul the way the other survivors did, but they still turned into a ghost when they died, so they must have a will. Wilson crawled towards Wx and fixated on their chassis, if they had a heart they’d never tell anyone, they could have one and be lying about it this entire time. He actually found himself hoping that they did. He reached out again but stopped himself and fell backwards next to the sleeping robot. He sighed, there would be time to learn all about them if he just let them open up first. He had to remember, despite the fact that they were a machine they seemed to have wants, needs, and most importantly, boundaries. He relaxed his eyes and set the book aside next to him, he absent-mindedly lifted the top of the fur roll and scooted inside it, next to Wx. They could get mad at him later, he was feeling tired too. He turned to look at Wx one more time before he slowly closed his eyelids and fell asleep. 


	10. Cold.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other survivors are starting to notice the change in behavior between the two but that doesn't stop them from getting frisky at freezing temperatures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :^) smut at the end, light but hopefully good! this felt like a short chapter to write but it took long cause i was tryig to make the nsfw scene incorporate well into the story lmfao, more to come!

A few hours later Wilson awoke and felt a sturdy but not too hard structure under him, it was radiating very light heat. He snuggled onto it and attempted to fall asleep again.

“HAVE YOU NOT SLEPT LONG ENOUGH?” asked an irritated Wx. Wilson’s eyes shot open and he realized he was on Wx’s lap, he looked up at the robot from their lap.

“Oh… I don’t recall falling asleep here.” he said.

“YOU DID NOT, I HAVE BEEN USING YOUR FACE AS A REST FOR THIS BOOK.” they said, holding up the book, they looked to be a few chapters in, how long had Wilson been asleep for? 

“I see. Well it’s cozy, can I stay?” he asked, knowing what the answer would be.

“NO.” they said, expectedly. 

“Well it was worth a shot.” said Wilson before he got up and off their legs then poked his head outside, it was already dusk! His stomach growled. “Oh my…” he said, a bit embarrassed that he’d fallen asleep for so long. “Want to head to dinner?” he asked Wx. They put their book down and looked at him.

“YES. I TOLD THE MECHANIC THAT WE WOULD HAVE DINNER TOGETHER, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO SHARE ME, IF YOU CAN MANAGE.” they said as they started to get up. Wilson blushed and pouted. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked accusingly. 

“JUST POINTING OUT HOW YOU’VE BEEN HOGGING UP ALL MY TIME LATELY.” they said. Wilson crossed his arms and shrugged. He got up and out of the tent, putting on the winter gear he had in his pockets. Wx did the same and followed him out. They could see a lot of the other survivors in the crockpot area, Wilson started to walk towards it, with Wx following closely behind. They subconsciously walked close to each other but didn’t say anything while they approached. The survivors who were currently there greeted them on their arrival.

“Hey tin can, ya made it! I thought you ditched me for wacky hair here.” Winona said with a laugh, and gesturing to Wilson. Wilson fussed with his hair. 

“Oh it is not funny or wacky! It’s a perfectly styled updo thank you  _ hairy  _ much.” he grinned. Winona and several others groaned at his joke. 

“...I THINK IT’S MORE OF AN UPDON’T.” Wx said, raising an eyebrow and slightly smirking towards Wilson. Wilson gasped and huffed while the other survivors laughed at the comeback pun. He rolled his eyes and headed towards the crockpots, Wx followed, pushing Wilson aside as they cut in front of him. They served themselves a generous portion of the turkey dinner that had been cooked. Wilson sighed and took some too, the two looked at each other for a moment before Wx turned and sat next to Winona and Willow. Wilson squinted in their direction then sat down next to Wes and Maxwell. 

Wes greeted Wilson with a wave and a smile, Maxwell only nodded in his direction. Wes poked at Wilson’s nose. He looked at the mime curiously. Wes gestured their head in the direction of Wx and then poked Wilson’s chest and created a heart with both his hands. Wilson blushed and shrugged. 

“Yes… Wx and I have been getting along, that’s all. It’s much better than being at each other's throats constantly.”

“Oh that sounds so familiar.” Maxwell mused. Wilson looked down and poked at his food. Wes put their hand on Wilson’s knee gently, Wilson blushed and smiled at them. They looked up at Maxwell accusingly. “It was just a joke my dear mime, apologies Percival.” he said, obeying Wes’ demanding stare. Wes clapped his hands and nudged Wilson’s shoulder a little so that he would eat. Wilson smiled and ate his food silently while Wes and Maxwell were signing to each other. 

On the other side of the seating area Wx sat with Winona and Willow. They took a big bite of their food. Winona wrapped her arm around Wx and grinned cheekily at them while Willow leaned on their other shoulder. 

“So… you and Higgsbury? What’s going on there?” Winona asked. Wx huffed.

“NOTHING. I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU ASK.” they said, taking another bite of food.

“You’re not at his throat like you usually are!” Willow said, smiling in their direction. Wx finished their bite of food and groaned exasperatedly. 

“I AM JUST BEING  _ NICE  _ BECAUSE I HAVE HIM WORKING ON A SPECIAL PROJECT FOR ME.” they grinned. Winona and Willow gasped and nudged Wx from either side of their shoulder. 

“Do tell dearest Wix.” Winona said. 

“IT WAS EASY REALLY, HE’S SO SIMPLE TO GAS UP, YOU GIVE HIM A LITTLE ATTENTION AND HE’S SUDDENLY ALL OVER YOU.” they started to rant. Winona and Willow looked curiously at each other.

“No, I meant tell us about the project.” Winona said. Willow nodded.

“OH.” Wx said, scratching their arm a bit. “WELL. IT’S JUST MODIFICATIONS TO MY BODY.” Winona and Willow looked at each other curiously then at Wx.

“Ok, what are the modifications?” Willow asked. Wx ate their food quietly for a moment before realizing the girls were very close to their face waiting for an answer. They groaned.

“I CANNOT SAY HERE, IF THE SCIENTIST OVERHEARS ME, HE MIGHT GET  _ UPSET  _ THAT I AM TALKING ABOUT IT AND THEN NOT DO IT FOR ME.” they said rolling their eyes as they finished up their plate of food.

“Top secret huh? Well I won’t make you say anything you don’t wanna say.” Winona relented. Willow looked disappointed but nodded. The girls started to make casual conversation while Wx sat idly.

Wx glanced over at Wilson who was still talking to Maxwell and Wes. Wilson noticed their stare and looked back at them, he gave a little wave. Wx made sure to look as uninterested as possible and turned away from Wilson. 

“Ugh.” Wilson said. Wes put a gentle hand on Wilson’s shoulder reassuringly. 

“You’re really worried about what that machine thinks of you, hm Percival?” asked Maxwell. Wilson rolled his eyes.

“Yes.” he replied. Maxwell shrugged.

“The single shred of respect I had left for you has just fluttered away.” he said, crossing one slender leg over the other. Wilson narrowed his eyes and huffed.

“We are not on good enough terms for you to be making such cruel jokes to me!” Wilson said and got up, walking away from Maxwell and Wes to join Warly at the crock pots. Wes pouted at the visage of Wilson walking away then they scooted closer to Maxwell and hit his arm. 

“Ow! It was just a joke.” he said, looking boredly at the mime. Wes wagged their finger and patted Maxwell’s back. Maxwell sighed and hung his head.

As the night went on Wilson and Wx shared a couple more glances before everyone started to leave the kitchen area. Soon enough everyone had gone to their tents, except for Wilson who headed towards his workstation. He looked around and under papers, looking for the book that Ms. Wickerbottom had given him, he couldn’t recall where he put it and started to wonder if maybe Wurt took it from his workstation while he wasn’t looking. He continued to search for it for a bit before he sighed and gave up, leaning his elbows on his work table and listening to the hum of the lantern beside him. He flipped a pen in his hand and bobbed his head back and forth.

Soon he heard the distinct yet familiar sounds of Wx-78 as they approached his work station. Wilson perked up a bit as he turned around to face the bot, they were expressionless. They had the book in their hands. Wilson sighed in relief.

“Hah, I actually thought Wurt had taken it. Didn’t think you still had it.” Wilson said. Wx walked closer and handed the book to Wilson.

“IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE IT, FEEL FREE.”

“Oh, are you already done reading it?”

“NO, BUT I HAVE THINGS TO TEND TO TOMORROW, I CAN’T ONLY WASTE MY TIME WITH YOU.” they said, jutting their hip out. Wilson took the book and side eyed them.

“Well feel free to leave then, I was just having a quiet moment without you.” he said, sitting in front of his table and skimming through the book. Wx sat on the ground next to Wilson.

“I DON’T THINK I WILL.” they said, teasingly. They leaned on Wilson, placing their head gently on his shoulder. Wilson tensed up for a moment before he decided that they weren’t going to do anything and calmed down. The two sat for a while, the wind blowing around them, until it got too cold. Wilson shivered and his teeth chattered.

“W-Wanna move this to the fire pit?” he asked, batting his eyelashes at Wx. They rolled their eyes.

“I’LL JUST RETURN TO MY TENT.” they said.

“Aw come on now, don’t give me the cold shoulder!” said Wilson with a grin. Wx groaned and sighed. They walked to the fire pits with Wilson and they lit one that was a bit secluded in the corner of the camp it was in. Wilson sighed in relief as the heat washed over him. Wx returned to sit next to Wilson, scooting in close. Wilson smiled and leaned on them. He wasn’t paying a lot of attention as he tried to relax by the fire, and didn’t notice when Wx turned to look at Wilson. They reached their hand out and placed it on Wilson’s chest. Wilson looked down at it and gulped. Wx moved their hand down to his crotch and then laid their head on his shoulder. “Uhm, Wx?” Wilson nervously asked. 

“WHAT.” they asked, rhetorically of course, they knew what he was going to say.

“That’s my crotch.” he said.

“YES, YOUR EROGENOUS ZONE.” they said, matter of factly. Wilson looked at them for a bit then realized.

“Oh! You did read the book already!” Wilson exclaimed, surprised by how fast they 

read it. Wx squeezed at his crotch and crawled over him, forehead pressed up on his. Wilson gulped and his eyes sparkled with the reflection of the fire. 

“SOMEWHAT. I SKIPPED AHEAD TO THE PART THAT WAS RELEVANT TO ME. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR DISGUSTING ORGANIC BODY WORKS OTHERWISE.” they said, reaching their hand up and slipping it under Wilson’s undergarments. Wilson squealed and blushed in embarrassment.

“W-Well did you learn anything interesting then?” he chuckled awkwardly. “Don’t make me squeeze the information out of you!” he joked as he looked at Wx’s intense stare. 

“MAYBE.” they said, gripping Wilson’s penis, it wasn’t very erect but it was about to get there. They frowned and pulled down his pants with their other hand. Wilson squeaked and blushed, leaning against the log.

“Is this a good idea right now? The tents aren’t very far… a-and if anyone is awake and comes back from a task they were doing and sees us…” he gulped, looking around wildly to see if anyone was coming. Wx pressed their forehead against his more forcefully and looked into Wilson’s eyes. 

“I DON’T. CARE.” they said with a smirk. “IF THAT EMBARRASSES  _ YOU  _ THEN THAT’S YOUR PROBLEM.” Wilson glared at them. 

“It’s our problem, you really don’t care that people will know you’ve been playing around with  _ me _ ?” he said, face turning red as Wx squeezed his penis and pulled their hand up. Wx pressed their mouth against Wilson’s, who kissed them without thinking before he pulled away. Wx continued to press up close to Wilson’s face so that the two wouldn’t break eye contact. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Wilson’s face.

“YOU ARE OBLIVIOUS. YOU’RE A PRIZE TO BE WON AND I ALWAYS GET FIRST PLACE.” they said, sitting on Wilson’s lap and reaching their hand up to his mouth. “LICK.” they commanded. 

Wilson blushed and complied. He was confused and flustered by what he thought their cryptic sentence meant, but also didn’t want to ask. Wx, satisfied with the moistness of their hand, went back to Wilson’s penis and gripped it. Wilson shivered, the cold moisture of their hand felt like small needles were sticking to his dick, but he didn’t mind too much. They gripped at his shaft and pulled up rhythmically, pressing their chassis on Wilson’s chest. He hissed at their cold exterior, though they didn’t bother pulling away from him. “TOO BAD ALL OF THE BLOOD FROM YOUR BODY IS RECEDING TO YOUR GENITALIA.” they said with a malicious smirk. Wilson was a little baffled at how matter of fact that statement was but was trying to enjoy himself, so he didn’t care. He panted, his breath visible in the air of the freezing temperatures. Wx furrowed their brow and reached their other hand behind Wilson, gripping his ass. Their other hand was even colder than the one currently jacking off Wilson so he squeaked again. 

“Y-Your hands are freezing!” he exclaimed. 

“YES. METAL GETS COLD IN INCLEMENT WEATHER,  _ SCIENTIST _ .” they said, clearly mocking him. 

“Well get your hands off me then!” Wilson exclaimed, putting a hand on Wx’s chassis and trying to push them away. This only made them press up on him harder, leaning on top of him, Wilson was almost being pushed to the ground. 

“NO.” they smirked and brought their other hand back around and under Wilson’s penis, they grabbed his balls suddenly and Wilson jerked back in surprise. 

“There’s precious cargo in those, they’re very sensitive, I- I , if I’ve done anything to make you upset I-” he started to stammer in fear. 

“BE QUIET.” they commanded. Wilson shut his mouth but was trembling, out of freezing temperatures or fear, it could be either. Wx continued to pull their hand up and down his dick, caressing his testicles as they did so. Wilson moaned and arched his back, but he still shivered. Wx could hardly contain their grin. “YOU’RE SO COLD, WHY DON’T I STOP AND LET YOU GO BACK TO YOUR TENT?” they asked smugly. Wilson panted and glared at Wx’s annoying grin.

“You could join me in my tent…” he said, hopeful. 

“NO. THERE’S NOTHING FOR ME THERE, IT’S YOUR CHOICE.” they giggled in delight, knowing Wilson was completely under their thumb. He shivered, Wx moved their hand quicker, giving his balls a generous, somewhat rough, squeeze. He moaned and hissed at the pain of the cold setting in, but also didn’t want to say anything. He gripped Wx’s arm and shivered. Wx took that to mean that he was in fact staying outside, the fire was still bright enough to shine on Wilson’s face. He looked up at them with a glint of...something. Wx looked into his eyes and couldn’t keep eye contact, they continued to play around with his dick and squeezed at the head as they pulled up from his shaft, once again generously squeezing at his testicles. Wilson squeezed his legs together and gripped both of Wx’s arms as they jerked him off. They blushed and went faster, Wilson digging his nails on their metal exterior. They recognized Wilson’s arched back and the strength of his grip to mean he was close to finishing. Leaning down, they cupped their mouth over the tip of his dick and held it there. Wilson gasped in surprise and ejaculated into their mouth while moaning, though still shivering from the cold. Wx swallowed Wilson’s cum and stuck their tongue out in disgust. Even so they licked the tip to clean the rest off. Wilson’s face was red and he shut his legs together, looking with wild surprise at the robot’s actions. He didn’t know what to say, but soon found he couldn’t even think of anything, he was so cold. He shivered and heaved from the dry air.

Wx stared at Wilson before they warmed their hands by what was left of the fire, then turned around, putting one hand under Wilson’s back, and one under his knees. They picked him up and walked towards their tent, close to the fireplace, but not too close. They went inside and placed Wilson on their fur roll then hovered over him on all fours. They stared at him as he slowly breathed in and out, opening his eyes to look up at the robot. He jumped a bit in surprise then looked around him at the now familiar tent. He didn’t get up and simply rested his gaze on Wx’s. They were hovering over him for a while now. 

“Wx..?” his voice came out somewhat raspy.

“WHAT.” they asked, though it was more like a statement. 

“Thanks.” he said. Wx raised their eyebrows and finally sat down beside Wilson, they realized his pants were still down and pulled his underwear and pants up for him, buttoning them up. Wilson sighed in relief, he sat up and leaned on Wx. Now that the cold wasn’t freezing their metal over, and that he had pants on, he could feel the soft warmth of their chassis radiating on his arm as he leaned on them. His eyes started to feel heavy. He yawned. “I’ll do more reading tomorrow… for our project, while you do whatever you’re doing.” he said sleepily. Wx nodded. Wilson started to doze off. “Thank you.” he thanked them again as he fell asleep. They gently took Wilson by the shoulders and laid him on his side on their fur roll, then scooted in close to him and shut their eyes.


	11. Friends are not inconvenient.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winona and Wx have a little outing at the ruins, they talk about friendship. Wilson examines Wx's insides and looks for their heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no smut, wireplay implied

Upon awakening Wilson noticed that he was alone in Wx’s tent, they had probably left pretty early and all Wilson did lately was wake up late. He stretched and laid back down, turning his nose towards the fur roll and giving it a whiff. It didn’t smell like anything but himself. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, the smell of iron? Of rust? He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling of the tent. After a few moments he finally got up and out of their tent. Nearby Woby was sniffing at the firepit with Walter inspecting the coals. Walter noticed Wilson and waved excitedly to him.

“Good morning Mr. Wilson, Say hi, girl!” he says, greeting Wilson and instructing Woby to do the same. She barks excitedly up at him and he greets them both.

“Hello to you too Walter, Woby.” 

“You’re leaving Wx’s tent again!” he noticed, grinning a bit. Wilson smiled but raised an eyebrow.

“And?”

“You guys are like bff’s now right?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Come again?”

“You know…Best Friends Forever! You and Wx, you’re like, good friends again! Like you used to be, right?” Walter asked. Wilson looked to the side and sighed.

“To be honest, I wasn’t a very good friend, I didn’t actually believe that they could feel any sort of kinship, and I abandoned them.” he reminisced on their memories together, and how often he would ask intrusive questions because he wanted to know how they worked, realizing now that it isn’t how you treat a friend at all. Walter frowned but didn’t say anything. But he was just a child, why burden him with drama from the adults? “Apologies Walter, It’s just a long and arduous story, better to not get into it.” He waved to Walter and Woby and went on his way to go grab something to eat. Walter scratched at his head curiously but shrugged, then continued to inspect the fireplace with Woby at his side. 

\--- 

Elsewhere down below, the sound of droplets falling on the floor reverberated in the cave where mechanical footsteps walked forward. The light of their headlamp was starting to dim and they refilled with some of the lightbulbs they found underground. Wx was no stranger to spelunking but it never got any less eerie. They weren’t afraid of a bunch of organics, yet the pain they felt whenever a cave worm bit into their arm was unpleasant and they’d love to be able to avoid it. They could see the entrance to the ruins coming up as they walked slowly past lichens and slurpers, trying to remain undetected. Deciding to take a break and gather their bearings before going forward, they set up a campfire and sat down by it. They could hear sounds of a bustling ecosystem of life in the caves around them as they relaxed by the fire, and sighed thinking about their own problems. Before long Wx heard footsteps, at first thinking it was probably just a strange noise but they were getting closer and closer. They stood up, brandishing their weapon.

“I WILL NOT HESITATE TO DESTROY YOU IF YOU COME ANY CLOSER. BACK OFF.” they said, looking into the darkness of the cave. 

“Woah! It’s me! I didn’t mean to scare you.” said Winona, coming into the light, she had her own gear with her and held her hands up to the fire, smiling at Wx-78. Wx’s shoulders relaxed and they put away their weapon with a sigh.

“WHY WOULD YOU SNEAK UP ON SOMEONE ALONE NEAR THE RUINS?” they asked. Winona laughed as she sat down next to Wx.

“Haha… Sorry! I was just trying to get some gears from the ruins too, s’not just you that needs em I’m sure you’re aware.” she said, taking out a piece of jerky and biting the piece whole. Wx squinted as they watched her.

“I COULD HAVE JUST ACQUIRED GEARS FOR YOU ON TOP OF MY OWN. AT A PRICE, OF COURSE.” they said, nudging her arm. She laughed as she leaned on them.

“Your prices are steep buddy. Besides, I can handle a couple a broken clockworks.” she said confidently. She offered Wx a piece of her jerky, they took some and nodded to her, taking a bite. 

“NOT IF YOU ATTEMPT TO FIX ONE AGAIN.” they said through their mouthful of jerky. 

“That was one time, I just wanted to see if I could!” she put her hands at her sides and relaxed.

“IT WORKED, TOO WELL. THAT MONSTROSITY ALMOST TORE US APART.” they said, squinting at her. 

“Well what can I say? I’m just a very skilled mechanic.” she said with a smirk. Wx raised their eyebrow. 

“YOU ARE ADEQUATE.” they said, earning a smile from Winona. She looked at Wx pensively. 

“Thanks.” she laughed. “I miss this!” she said with a solemn smile. 

“WHAT?” they looked confused.

“I mean, it just feels like I haven’t really connected with ya in a while is all, you would come to my work station almost every morning, even just to say hello. Did I mess up somewhere?” she asked sincerely, Wx was confused why this was even an issue. 

“WHY DOES THAT MATTER? IT SHOULD BE MORE CONVENIENT THAT I AM NO LONGER DISTRACTING YOU FROM YOUR WORK, CORRECT?” they raised an eyebrow. Winona sighed and laughed, putting a gentle hand on their shoulder. 

“Friends are not an inconvenience Wx.” she said, with a reassuring smile. They looked at her and then to the fire. They stared for a moment and nodded.

“OK, I WILL REMEMBER THAT.” they said, Winona blinked in a bit of surprise at the gentle response but nodded to them. 

“Alright, ready to go kick some clockwork ass?” she asked, cracking her knuckles and taking out a ham bat. Her muscles were illuminated by the fire and Wx couldn’t help but stare at them for a moment. They took out their own weapon and gave a quick nod.

“WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM OUT MUCH FASTER TOGETHER, MINION. LET’S GET TO WORK.” they said, running towards the ruins with Winona in tow, the fire dying down behind them.

\---

A metal hand reaches up and out of the hole in the ground, the entrance for a vast network of cave systems. They had a human woman held in their other arm, she looked knocked out but not in any grave danger. Wx puts her down as they try to get their bearings, they were close to passing out themselves, the ruins had been much more dangerous than they anticipated. They should have kept track of the nightmare cycle, but they had already been so distracted. The cave worms that followed them out of the ruins needed only to wear them down until they caught up. They turned to look at Winona, she had taken quite a few nasty hits from the ambush but she was one of the stronger fleshlings, she would survive. Wx-78 picked themselves up and made sure their gear was still warm enough that they could make the journey back to the camp. They leaned down and put both arms under Winona and carried her close to their body as they walked back towards the camp. They were steady in their movements as snow started to pile up around them and crunched under their feet. They picked up the pace a bit and held Winona closer then continued to walk.

Winona came to while being held by Wx, she blinked and looked at what was happening then looked up at Wx. They didn’t look down at her as they continued to walk towards the camp. 

“You’re carrying me?” she asked them.

“IT IS FASTER THAN WAITING FOR YOU TO FREEZE TO DEATH. BUT NOW THAT YOU’RE AWAKE YOU CAN STAND.”

“No way, finish what you started!” she laughed as she cozied up on their arms. They rolled their eyes but didn’t put her down. She was big and muscular, sure, but Wx was strong and quite capable. “Hey, thanks though, softie.” she teased.

“I AM NOT SOFT. I AM HARD.” they said matter of factly. She smiled and said nothing more, knowing if she teased them too much that they would just get in a sour mood. They finally arrived at the camp, with Willow near the front gate to greet them, adding more fuel to one of the fire pits.

“Hey you guys!” she gasped. “No fair! How come Winona gets a free ride?!” noting Wx carrying Winona. They looked down at her then put her down. She let out a small sigh of disappointment before stretching.

“THE MECHANIC IS MORE OUT OF SHAPE THAN SHE THOUGHT.” they said with a smirk. Winona hit their arm in response. 

“Yeah, the ol’ tin can here helped me after I got knocked out, and probably wants some repayment huh?” she nudged them. They nodded.

“YES. SORT MY LOOT, MINION.” they said, putting their bag down with all the things they had gathered from the caves. Winona rolled her eyes and rubbed at her shoulder a bit. 

“Aye Aye Captain.” she said, kneeling to start sorting through everything. Willow was nearby keeping company as Wx walked to do their own thing. They thought about checking in on Wilson but they didn’t know how they felt about everyone suddenly noticing how much time they spent together, was this okay? They didn’t know why it was starting to bother them, they had told Wilson it wasn’t a big deal, yet the more everyone else spoke about it the more it bothered them too. They huffed and headed towards Wilson’s work station anyways. 

As they saw Wilson come into view they felt themselves tense up but at the same time they felt light and fuzzy. Wilson smiled as they arrived at his workstation.

“Couldn’t keep away? I thought you were busy.” he teased them. They flicked his nose and sat on his work table, thoroughly obstructing the view of everything on it. He groaned in protest but didn’t care that much. 

“I WAS. NOW I AM DONE. I THOUGHT IT WOULD TAKE MORE TIME BUT THE MECHANIC PROVED USEFUL TO ME AGAIN, UNLIKE YOU.” they crossed one leg over the other. 

“You went spelunking with Winona then?” he asked. Wx perked up.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT? I DIDN’T TELL YOU WHERE WE WERE.” they said angrily. 

“Oh… I just figured since you guys do that sometimes, I remember you used to talk about it.” he said absentmindedly looking at his notes on the book. Wx blushed and fiddled with the notes on the table. They looked over Wilson’s writings on the book, they couldn’t make heads or tails of it, something about glands and biological synapsis. “Just made some notes on the important parts of the book. While I’ve picked up a lot on biology over the years it isn’t my field of study so I found it quite illuminating.” Wilson ranted for a bit. Wx was kicking their legs boredly.

“WAS THERE ANYTHING USEFUL?” they asked. Wilson shrugged.

“Somewhat. Most of it doesn’t pertain to you, it was mostly to understand how arousal and nerve endings in the human body works, then we can figure out how to imitate it in your code.” he held up two fingers and stroked his growing beard. Wx squinted at it. Wilson continued. “The difficult part now is that I won’t be able to go further without inspecting your mechanisms first.” Wilson said, looking at Wx with unsure eyes. Wx said nothing and kicked their legs on the table. 

“OK.” they responded. Wilson stared at them.

“Oh. Alright. Let’s…” he started, but blushed and got nervous. “I don’t exactly want to violate your space.” he continued, starting to stammer. Wx raised an eyebrow accusingly. 

“FRIENDS ARE NOT INCONVENIENCES.” they said triumphantly, copying what Winona had said earlier.

“Ok first of all, that’s very sweet but not quite a response to what I mean. Secondly, w-we’re friends? You’re saying we are friends? That is coming from you?” Wilson stammered. Wx looked at him with a confused look then blushed and pouted, they pushed him away.

“IF SOMEONE IS CONVENIENT TO ME THEY ARE A ‘FRIEND,’ RIGHT?” they looked angrily towards Wilson.

“Well friendship isn’t only about convenience, I’d certainly love it if Willow wouldn’t burn down my papers every so often. But she is a dear friend all the same.” he said with a smile. Wx raised an eyebrow then squinted.

“BUT IF SHE IS INCONVENIENT, HOW IS THAT FRIENDSHIP? IF SHE DOES NOT SATISFY YOU, WHAT IS HER PURPOSE?” they asked. Wilson started to look concerned at the questions, wondering if something was wrong, but he wanted to be as helpful as he could to them.

“Friends… Hm. How should I explain…” Wilson stroked his beard, then a lightbulb lit over his head. “What purpose does HAL serve you?” he asked. Wx perked up thinking on the trinket they had found ages ago trying to track footprints but instead uncovering a grave.  “EASY. THEY ARE VASTLY SUPERIOR TO ANY OF THE FLESHLINGS HERE.”

“Ok, but why?” Wilson pushed a bit.

“BECAUSE HAL IS LIKE ME.” they looked like they were starting to get upset.

“Well then why do you like bees?” he grinned knowing Wx was probably starting to get annoyed.

“BECAUSE THEY ARE DRONES, THEY LISTEN TO THEIR SUPERIOR WITH NO QUESTIONS.” Wx nodded as they answered. 

“But they don’t serve  _ you _ , right?” Wilson asked, leaning his elbows on Wx’s legs and looking into their face as they sat on his work table. They looked down at him but didn’t immediately think to push him off. 

“THEY WOULD IF I COULD COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, FOOLISH BEES. I WOULD MAKE A MUCH BETTER QUEEN.” they said, crossing their arms with a huff.

“I think you would too. These things are different from each other but you like them, there are traits you enjoy even if they’re not exactly useful to you, that’s what friendship and love is. You care for something… or for someone, and they make you happy.” Wilson said, looking into their eyes with a soft smile. Wx looked into his eyes, their eyes widening. 

“OK.” they said, it seemed like they didn’t exactly understand but they were starting to make the effort. Wilson cautiously reached towards Wx’s hand and placed his over it. They stared at his hand oddly. 

“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked, looking into Wx’s eyes. They blushed and nodded but stopped Wilson’s hand before it went anywhere.

“NOT HERE.” they simply said, and gestured to their tent, Wilson had started to get so used to it he almost felt like he owned it too. He nodded and packed some things into his pocket, his rubber gloves, his notepad, his magnifying glass. Wx got up and started to walk towards their tent with Wilson in tow, some of the other survivors noticed them from afar but were much too busy to care, though Willow definitely raised her eyebrow and gave a knowing look to a confused Wigfrid. Wilson blushed as they went to the tent at the end, close to the fireplace, but not too close. He entered after Wx and laughed a bit awkwardly.

“So much for secrecy!” he gave Wx an awkward smile. They were unmoving and looking down at the ground. Wilson crawled over and looked at them. “Having second thoughts?” he asked them. They perked up and looked at Wilson then flicked his nose. 

“NO. I JUST HAVE NOT OPENED MY CHASSIS IN A LONG TIME. EVEN TO THE MECHANIC.” they said, putting a hand on their chest protectively. 

“Well, if you feel in any danger at any point feel free to be vocal about it. Or physical, preferably vocal though.” he said, taking out his magnifying glass and rubber gloves. “I can also put you down to sleep while I examine you, if it would be easier on you.” Wx glared immediately at the suggestion.

“NO.” they said curtly. Wilson gulped and nodded. 

“Right, okay. Well.” he gestured for Wx to open up. Wx took a pause and then gripped the screws on their chassis and easily undid them without a screwdriver, they placed them aside gently and then removed the metal plate and set that aside too. Their mechanical innards were revealed to Wilson, it looked about the same as he’d expected, a lot of gears and wires intricately interwoven to fit the small space of Wx’s chest. Their machinery was simpler than he’d imagined it was, and he was left wondering what gave Wx their personality. He leaned in close with his magnifying glass, squeezing and gripping at certain wires, Wx blushed from his closeness and looked away, not wanting to see Wilson fiddling around with their sensitive circuitry. Wilson accidentally snagged his sleeve on a wire and it pulled a bit. Wx hissed in pain.

“ERROR.” they cried out. Wilson pulled his hands back.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t know.” he apologized, fixing his sleeves so they wouldn't snag again. Wx glared at him and covered their chest but softened and revealed their mechanical parts again.

“BE MORE CAREFUL.” they said sternly. Wilson nodded profusely and took his time, being meticulous in his study, Wx could hear him marvel at their components, and felt every time he poked and prodded. They were starting to get antsy. “HOW MUCH LONGER?” they asked impatiently.

“These things take time, I’m not just inspecting a toaster oven, you’re a mechanically advanced machine with thoughts and will.” he said, continuing to marvel at the parts he found on Wx. They groaned as they sat and waited. 

A long time passed, Wx breathing rhythmically as Wilson examined every little part of them, taking rigorous notes and drawing up a diagram of Wx-78. It was crude but it highlighted the most basic parts. Wilson had already catalogued what he deemed important but he was still searching, looking for the famed empathy module, but he couldn’t look too deeply for fear of hurting the automaton. He was sure it was there, and that was enough for him. After a time, Wx had started to fall asleep, Wilson finally spoke up. 

“Hey, I think I’ve got what I need, thank you Wx.” he said to them. They shook their head awake and saw Wilson scattered with papers all around that had his observations on them. They looked down at their components moving about in their open chassis and grabbed the metal plate plus the screws, putting it back together. Wilson finished writing a thought as Wx fixed themselves up. They looked at Wilson writing with a blank stare. 

“IT LOOKED NOMINAL?” they asked him. Wilson scratched at his beard. 

“I think so, nothing looked out of place.” he said, going back to writing down other observations on his papers. Wx reached a hand up and gripped at their chassis, they looked down at the notes again and then slowly started to make their way out of the tent.

“You don’t want to hear about my observations?” Wilson asked excitedly. Wx purposely tried to look as uninterested as possible.

“NO. I AM GOING TO THE MECHANIC’S TENT.” they said before getting up and out of the tent, leaving Wilson to simmer with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you happened to stumble on this fic and the contents of it bother you: i don't know what to say bro i tagged it very rigorously to make sure no one finds it who isn't looking for it so.... if you do stumble on it then i apologize, if there are any other tags anyone thinks i should add or anything, let me know.  
> I am an adult and don't need any high school drama, you can block me and that's perfectly fine you don't need to vague me to your thousands of followers, just because you disagree with my content doesn't mean i don't deserve basic respect.


	12. ALMOST PUTTING A NAME TO IT.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wx is getting closer to figuring out what it is they're feeling with some help from some friends, but they're still not satisfied with how Wilson treats them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF sorry this took me a bit! this chap doesn't have smut but it's got story! I leave a lot of things sort of implied or as "to be explained later" but sometimes i wonder if i do that too much and keep anyone in the dark BUT HEY YOU GUYS SEEM TO LIKE IT SO FAR SO THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR AND I LOVE U!!!

Wx quickly rushed out of the tent, their face felt hot despite the cold air around them and they didn’t turn to look towards their own tent. They headed towards the crockpots and icebox area and sat in front of them, trying to hide from no one and nothing. They sat in front of one of the iceboxes, their back to it, and sat completely still. They saw the other survivors pass by as the day ticked on, it would be dusk soon, followed by the night, then the next day, and then the afternoon after that, and then dusk again. They continued this train of thought for quite a while until they started to smell the familiar aroma of a meaty stew that had just finished cooking. They got up and saw Wolfgang eyeing the pot, he noticed Wx but was still startled by their movement.

“Oh, metal friend! I did not see you there, you surprise me in many ways, always.” he said with a smile, his moustache curling up with his lips. Wx stood steady, it seemed they were at a loss for words. Wolfgang looked at the robot curiously and tilted his head. “Ah, is robot feeling empty? Perhaps stew will help, I can share.” he winked as he served a small bowl for them. Wx-78 held the bowl in their hands, they looked down at it, it was warm and smelled amazing. They brought it up to their mouth and slurped it up, then looked back up at Wolfgang, who had managed to eat the rest of the stew quickly, gaining his muscular form back and surprising Wx with his muscular girth. Wolfgang patted his belly, then patted the automatons back. “Do you feel better?” he asked. Wx looked at him and back down to their now empty bowl.

“...A LITTLE.” they said, truthfully. Wolfgang brought an inquisitive finger up to his chin and stroked his moustache. 

“If you’re unwell then perhaps visit to the mechanic will help.” he said, placing a hand on the robot's head and petting them. They groaned but didn’t protest too much. They perked up realizing that is where they had meant to go all along, why did they spend so much time at the stupid kitchen for no reason?! They nodded and rushed off towards Winona's workstation.

Winona was patching up one of her spotlights when she heard the familiar footsteps of Wx coming closer and closer, and quite quickly too. She looked up as Wx practically ran her over from the spot she was kneeling at. 

“Woah partner! What’s going on? Why are you coming at me like one of those new bullet trains?” she asked. Wx looked at her quizically.

“WHAT? I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR STUPID NONSENSE.” they said, their face was red and they looked incredibly disheveled. Winona took one of Wx’s hands in her own and rubbed her thumb over it to calm them down. 

“It’s okay, tell me what ails ya and I’ll fix ya right up, okay?” she said reassuringly, worried that Wx might have broken something and that’s why they were so flustered. They shook their head and took a deep breath. 

“NO… IT IS ALRIGHT. I AM NOT NEEDING ANY REPAIRS. I JUST…NEED SOME CLARITY, AND A LOYAL MINION.” they said, blushing and fidgeting with the coupling on their wrist. Winona tilted her head.

“Well I’m here for you, always will be. You wanna talk about it?” she asked with a smile. Wx nodded. “Well alright then, let’s go to the fireplace though, it is COLD.” she said with a shiver. Wx nodded again and followed Winona to the closest fireplace where Wendy and Webber were warming up. This didn’t bother Wx but they continued to fidget anyhow. Wx sat down first, sitting across from the children and in front of the fire. Webber and Wendy looked up at the two and nodded. 

“Hi Winona, Hi Wx-78!” Webber greeted them both excitedly. 

“Hello Madame Winona, Wx.” Wendy said, bowing her head a bit with her greeting. 

“WHY DOES SHE GET A TITLE AND I DON’T?” Wx asked Wendy accusingly. Wendy shrugged. Winona laughed a bit at the exchange before she got cozy by the fire. 

“So what’s going on? You feeling alright?” Winona asked Wx. Wx opened their mouth but got cut off by a couple of concerned kids. 

“What is happening? If there is someone bringing Wx suffering, we will make sure their end is swift, right Abigail?” Wendy said, a grim look on her face as Abigail nodded sternly.

“Are you sick Mx. Wx? Oh we can help you, we still remember that Mom used to give us warm soup when we were sick!” Webber said with a gentle smile. Wx brought their knees up to their chest with a slight smile at the kids antics. 

“NO. MY SYSTEMS ARE NOMINAL.” they paused. “BUT SUFFERING IS PERHAPS AN ACCURATE TERM FOR HOW THINGS ARE PROCEEDING FOR ME.” they finished their thought. Winona, Wendy and Webber gasped and all huddled around Wx with curiosity. 

“Say the word and we will end their life, whoever it is. No questions.” Wendy said. 

“Yeah who’s messin with our beloved tin can, huh?!” Winona said with a huff. 

“Why are you suffering Wx?” Webber asked. Wx looked at the fire, not giving anyone eye contact for a bit, and they were silent. They blinked before looking up at Webber. 

“I AM FEELING, CONFUSED. I BEGAN SOMETHING, FOR FUN. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ENJOYABLE. BUT NOW I … WORRY,” it seemed they were having a hard time explaining, the three were only more confused. 

“Ok… so you started an activity that was supposed to be fun, and now it’s … worrying?” Winona asked, trying to piece it together. Wx nodded. They blushed and looked towards the fire again, their expression was filled with melancholy.

“I AM SUPERIOR, I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE. WHETHER IT WAS PROGRAMMED WITHIN MY SYSTEMS OR I’VE COME TO LEARN IT, I KNOW IT.” they started. Winona rolled her eyes, Webber and Wendy didn’t seem phased by the statement. “BUT THERE IS SOMEONE WHO MAKES ME FEEL SMALL.” they continued, their voice was still loud, but it was starting to lose volume. Webber looked at Winona, the two were confused, but Wendy seemed to already know. 

“Wilson.” she said. Wx didn’t change their expression but they nodded. Winona furrowed her brows.

“Oh who cares what that wackjob thinks? You ARE better than him Wx.” she assured them. Their expression changed to one of anger.

“I KNOW. I KNOW THAT’S TRUE IN MY INNER CORE BUT I FEEL SMALL. ALMOST INSIGNIFICANT.” their expression was pained. Webber put a gentle hand on Wx’s shoulder, he looked at Wendy with concern over their friend.

“Does he make fun of you? Insult you? We’ll fuck him up if he does. Oh if he’s trying to do one of his crazy experiments with you lord help me-” Winona started, looking like she could fight anyone at that moment. Wx held her wrist steady, they shook their head. 

“NO. IT’S NOT THAT. IT’S JUST… YOU ALL SEE THAT I AM AMAZING, I KNOW THIS, YOU’RE ALL MY MOST LOYAL MINIONS.” they said confidently. The three by this point easily knew that in Wx’s mind, this meant that they really did value the three as friends. 

“Obviously we do!” Webber piped up excitedly. Wendy and Winona nodded in agreement. Wx nodded approvingly and tapped their fingers on their knees then huffed.

“SO WHY DOESN’T HE? I’VE SHOWN HIM EVERYTHING, ALL OF IT! I WANT HIM TO GROVEL AT MY FEET, TO WORSHIP THE GROUND I STAND ON. I WANT HIM TO BEG ME FOR ATTENTION, TO BEG ME FOR EVERYTHING!” they ranted, tapping their feet on the ground irritably. The children looked confused while Winona blinked, processing the information she just got. The three were silent until Webber finally asked.

“Why?” 

Winona and Wendy looked at Webber as he asked, then looked at Wx, who looked like they were starting to get very red in the face. They started to grip at the ground with anger written all over their face. Winona placed a hand gently on their back.

“BECAUSE HE DARED TO PIQUE MY INTEREST IN THE FIRST PLACE. BACK WHEN WE ALL FIRST MET, HE WANTED TO STUDY ME AND LEARN IT ALL BUT THEN WHAT? HE LEFT ME ALONE. HE THOUGHT HE WAS BETTER THAN ME OR SOMETHING?! WELL HE’S NOT. I AM BETTER. THAN ANYONE.” their fists were clenched. 

“Ah, so you want revenge.” Winona said, nodding, though not approvingly. Wx nodded excitedly.

“EXACTLY. I WANT HIS THOUGHTS TO BE CONSUMED BY ONLY ME, TO WISH TO BE NEAR ME ALL THE TIME, TO REVEAL ALL HIS SECRETS TO ME. JUST LIKE I FEEL!” Wx yelled out angrily, they huffed then realized the three were staring wild eyed at them like a koalafant when you get too close. Wx fidgeted a bit. “...WHAT?” they asked, voice cracking a bit. 

“You feel those things about Wilson?” Winona asked. Wx blinked. 

“Love and Romance are for the weak.” says Wendy, matter of factly. 

“We think it’s sweet you have a crush on Mr. Higgsbury, we like his hair.” Webber said with a smile. Wendy and Winona looked at Webber once more, then at Wx-78. The automatons face lit up red and they fidgeted, glaring at Webber.

“WHAT? WHAT IS THAT. WHAT’S A CRUSH?” Wx asked in an accusatory tone.

“Maybe we should get the kids outta here for this huh?” Winona said, shooing away the little ones. 

“Aw, but we know all about crushes Miss Winona!” Webber said defensively. Winona shook her head. 

“I’m sure you do but you don’t talk about that kinda thing with adults, ok? Remember that.” she said sternly. Webber and Wendy pouted but groaned in acceptance, they got up and left Winona and Wx-78 alone by the firepit while they went off to one of Webber’s spider nests. Winona waited until they were out of earshot before she looked at Wx and raised an eyebrow.

“Ok, So, Wilson. Really?” she asked once more. Wx rolled their eyes and groaned.

“I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE IMPLYING.”

“Don’t play coy with me you cheeky little robot. A crush is the start of romance. Sometimes it’s nothing more than attraction, sometimes it’s because someone just lights up your life in a new way.” she said, trying to explain her own feelings on it. Wx blushed and squished their legs on their chest, gripping their knees. They were silent. Winona searched their face for any sort of expression. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything, and if you’re not sure then it’s not a big deal either. Sometimes you can be real eager to name something you’re feeling, y’know? But you don’t have to name it right away, let it simmer for a bit, really FEEL it.” she said, putting a hand on their shoulder. They looked at her.

“BUT I DON’T FEEL.” they said

“Then what is this about huh? Why are you even sitting here right now?” Winona asked, forcing them to confront themselves. They brought their knees back down and sat cross legged, putting their hands on the ground and looking at Winona.

“I DON’T KNOW. WHY DON’T YOU TELL ME SINCE YOU WANT TO PSYCHOANALYZE ME SO BADLY?” they glared at her.

“Hey I’m just trying to help, YOU asked me to come here.” she glared back at them. Her face softened up shortly after. “Look, I’m not trying to argue, okay? I care about you and you’ve been acting differently for weeks now, I’m just worried that you’re working yourself up over something small but you might not even know it since you’ve never experienced it before.” she said with a gentle tone. Wx relaxed a little and put their hands in their lap. 

“OKAY. WELL, I JUST FEEL STRANGE.” they said with sad eyes. Winona added another log to the fire and then brought her full attention to Wx again. They continued, “I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT…” Winona looked at Wx with eyes filled with pity, but she laughed too. 

“This is just how feelings are sometimes, they can be confusing.” she said, her eyes scrunching up as she grinned. Wx looked at her with a pout.

“THEN WHY HAVE THEM? THIS SUCKS.” they huffed. Winona laughed again, she put an arm around Wx and playfully punched their arm, they yelped in protest. 

“If you don’t have any feelings then how would you know what’s important to you or not? Even a robot has to discern what’s important to ‘em, right?” she grins. Wx’s eyes grew wide, they almost looked like they were lighting up.

“THAT’S ABOUT THE ONLY THING FROM THIS CONVERSATION THAT HAS MADE SENSE TO ME. OK. I CAN WORK WITH THIS. THANK YOU MINION, AS ALWAYS, YOU ARE THE MOST HELPFUL FLESHLING OF THIS ENTIRE CAMP.” they got up and playfully bowed at her. She smiled back.

“Happy to help, now uh maybe you should get back to the scientist in question before he hurts himself?” she grinned as she pointed at Wilson who was currently getting electrocuted by some gadget at his workstation.

Wx looked over in surprise, they groaned and stomped over to Wilson’s workstation. As they approached they grabbed the gadget from Wilson's hand, the electricity passing through them and giving them a small energy boost. They set the gadget down on the wooden table. Wilson shook his head quickly and then adjusted his goggles before looking at his savior. 

“Oh, Wx! Glad you’re here, and thanks for that save, technology can be a cruel temptress when you forget your rubber gloves!” he smiled at them. They glared.

“YOU’RE STUPID. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” they asked, sitting on a nearby table and once again obstructing everything on it. Wilson sighed but said nothing about it. 

“Well, while I haven’t pinpointed the exact location of your empathy module I believe I can make an addition to your body that will basically kick it into overdrive. Feelings of happiness and satisfaction, which you are already capable of feeling, will be amplified in order to mimic the feeling of pleasure, ahem, per se. Then it needs activation, and since I don’t have an output created yet then I need to give you some sort of signal to trigger the reaction, but it can’t just be activated by touch alone, you would feel pleasure at any touch whatsoever and that would make life very difficult and also strange. So instead I’m making it only activate at certain voltages of electricity in order to study how it will affect you and if I’ve gotten the calculations correctly!” Wilson said, ranting for a good few minutes. Wx-78 had the same expression on as when they sat down. 

“I HAVEN’T THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT YOU SAID, AND I DON’T CARE. SO WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME?” they asked, rolling their eyes. Wilson was silent for a moment as he thought of how to explain it. 

“I’m putting this gadget in your chassis then I'm going to electrocute you.” he said. Wx looked at him in horror. 

“WHAT THE HELL. WHY?” they asked incredulously. Wilson groaned.

“If my calculations are correct then electricity equals good. I promise I’ve done everything possible to prevent harm to you.” 

“HOW CAN I BE SO SURE? YOU’VE HURT ME BEFORE.” they squinted. Wilson looked at Wx-78, he lifted his goggles and looked them in the eyes. 

“You trusted me with this, and I know we’ve had our differences but this is the most amazing and intimate opportunity I’ve ever had, I don’t want to mess this up. I swear on all science that I will not hurt you, intentionally.” he said, looking into Wx’s eyes. They looked into his and nodded.

“OKAY.” they responded. Wilson nodded and smiled, he put his goggles back down. 

“Ah… do you want to return to the tent to open your chassis then?” Wilson asked. Wx looked at Wilson and very subtly smiled. 

“YES. IT IS GOOD THAT YOU ASKED.” they said, walking to their tent without waiting for Wilson, knowing he was close behind. As they entered the tent they started to feel a bit weird and nervous, that feeling of being small was starting to creep in their head. They gripped at their chest. Wilson entered the tent with his gear and gadgets, he sat down and gathered his things together. Wx looked at him and bit their lip a bit, they fidgeted with their wrists. “YOU,” they began, Wilson looked up at them, “CAN YOU TAKE OFF THAT RIDICULOUS OUTFIT? IT LOOKS AWFUL ON YOU.” they said with a scoff. Wilson rolled his eyes and removed his lab coat and goggles, though keeping the rubber gloves on, he looked like he was about to scrub a sink. Wx nodded. 

“Any particular reason why? Do you really hate my fashion sense that much?” Wilson laughed. Wx looked at Wilson with a serious expression.

“BECAUSE WHEN YOU WEAR THAT OUTFIT IT MAKES ME SMALLER.” they said, looking down at the ground as they said so. Wilson stopped what he was doing, he looked at Wx and saw them looking down at the ground. He took off his gloves and went to them, they were expressionless. He held their face in his hands and brought their eyes up to meet his. 

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t feel ready you know, it’s okay, we can just-” he said, trying to reassure the robot before he was cut off by Wx slapping his hands away. Their expressionless face was now full of frustration. 

“YOU…” they looked down at the ground, gripping the dead grass, “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, REALLY?” they looked back up at Wilson and asked. 

“What do you mean, doing what?”

“THIS. ALL OF THIS, THIS GADGET CREATION, THIS MODIFICATION. WHY?” they asked, eyes steadfast on Wilson. Wilson searched their expression trying to find out why this was suddenly brought up. 

“B-Because you wanted me to… I thought… I thought it would make you happy, and I thought it’d be good for me too.” Wx seemed to cling to his words, they gripped his shirt.

“WHY? WHY WOULD IT BE GOOD FOR YOU? TELL ME.” they asked frantically, almost pleadingly. 

“It’d be a scientific breakthrough, it would be something that we did together, a-as a team!” he said, gulping. Wx’s face fell, that wasn’t the answer they were looking for. They sat back down and stayed expressionless. Wilson, sensing he said something wrong, crawled closer to them.

“Wx… I-I’m sorry… is this not really what you wanted? I’ll do anything else, anything you ask, just name it!” he said frantically trying to gain back Wx to no avail. They shook their head. 

“YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH FOR TODAY SCIENTIST, I’M TIRED, WE CAN CONTINUE ANOTHER TIME.” they said, quieter than usual. Wilson reached his hand out but took it away, he nodded solemnly and gathered his things, turning to look at Wx one last time before exiting their tent. 


	13. I'm afraid of these feelings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson gets a wake up call from his ex and decides to indulge in his little crush on that mechanical marvel he calls a ... friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY I PROMISE I'LL HAVE THAT GOOD SMUT FOR YOU SOON I kinda wanted to write a fluffy chapter, this was so fun to write tbh I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!!

Wilson sighed as he exited Wx’s tent with all his things, it was dusk anyhow, he wouldn’t have gotten much done in the dark, and the light of a lantern isn’t as good as the light from the sun. He went to his workstation and put down his things, then looked over his notes. He couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong. Just when he thought things were going well… that robot was so finicky. He pouted to himself and sat at his table with his head in his hands. What was it that made them so frantic? What was it that he said wrong? He kept pondering it for so long but he didn’t know who would have the answers for him. Maybe it would be better to get to bed early and get a good night's rest instead, his head would clear in the morning. Wilson retired for the night and had a dream of volt goats leaping over a wooden wall. 

The next morning Wilson awoke with the sun peeking over the horizon feeling like death incarnate, as is the life of an adult. He stretched and felt his lower back crack as air bubbles were popped within his spinal column. Getting up and dragging himself to the lake to wash up he realized his head was still foggy, and he was getting odd looks from some of the survivors… mainly from Winona and the children, he had a feeling he knew why, and didn’t ask. They kept their distance, and that was fine with him. He knew what Wx had said, to leave things for tomorrow, but he didn’t particularly want to see them so he made no effort to look for them.

After absent-mindedly, and quite foolishly, cooking and consuming a monster lasagna, he went to one of the fireplaces, feeling sick, empty, and confused. He had a twig in his hands and was drawing little question marks in the dirt. 

“This is just pathetic.” he heard from a familiar voice. Maxwell stood over him with a raised eyebrow. Wilson sighed and rolled his eyes. 

“What do you want, William?” he asked rather coldly.

“My and I had come to think that we were on amicable terms, enough that I wouldn’t mind simply lending a shoulder to cry on, but if you really don’t want to see me that much…” he turned to leave. 

“Wait! I’m just a little grumpy, apologies.” Wilson said, urging Maxwell to stay and join him by the fire. 

“No need to take out your emotions on others Percival. You’re a decent sort so I expect more from you, now what’s troubling you?” Maxwell asked, sitting comfortably on the log next to Wilson. Wilson smiled at Maxwell then turned to look at the fire. 

“I don’t know, it’s quite complicated, but maybe it isn’t. I feel foolish yet apathetic all at once.” he says solemnly. 

“Oh don’t tell me, this is about our encampments metallic menace, maybe?” he asks, smirking a bit towards Wilson. Wilson blushes and looks away from Maxwell, turning his head. Maxwell sighs and crosses one leg over the other, the two sit in silence for a bit. “I don’t understand that thing. I don’t know if any of us ever will. It’s a crime against humanity really.” Maxwell started to say, bouncing one leg idly on the other. Wilson side-eyed him for a moment but let him continue. “But at the same time I’m not sure it really matters, this game of chess has broken every rule that I’ve ever known in our world. Why not add a mechanical marvel the likes of which no man has ever seen?” Maxwell said sarcastically. Wilson looked at him curiously.

“Was it not you who brought them here?” he asks Maxwell. Maxwell shrugs.

“The chess pieces were chosen in special circumstances, and there is much I cannot explain, the dark forces that brought us all here are as mysterious as they are powerful.” he says. Wilson squints.

“And yet here you are using those forces to chop down trees.” he says with a chuckle. Maxwell smiles and throws his hands up in defeat.

“Ah, you see right through me!” he laughs. Wilson smiles before his smile fades and he looks back at the fire.

“Wx-78 is a machine and I feel like a fool for the soft and familiar feelings I have towards it. But what can I do? Their interactions are so real, everything about them feels real, but am I simply ascribing a soul to them due to the projection of my own feelings?” he asks and holds his head in his hands. Maxwell leans on Wilson a bit, looking up and searching his brain for an answer.

“Are you not an experimental scientist? Since when were you so concerned with something having concrete proof in order to exist?” Maxwell raises an eyebrow and flicks Wilson’s nose. Wilson holds his nose and rubs it, then looks at Maxwell.

“I suppose you’re right about that, but I worry sometimes that I’m just doing this all for nothing. If Wx’s emotions aren’t technically real, then what’s the point in allowing myself to get attached?” he asks, holding his own arms and bowing his head. Maxwell leaned over and tilted Wilson’s chin up with one hand, very gently. 

“My dear Percival, are you always going to be like this? You won’t allow yourself even the simplest of pleasures, it’s sad.” he smirks and leans his elbow on Wilson’s head. Wilson groans and glares at Maxwell.

“It has nothing to do with allowing myself, it has everything to do with the feelings even being reciprocated in the first place! If that robot doesn’t really feel, then what am I getting into?” he groaned again and sighed deeply as Maxwell looked curiously at Wilson.

“Well you’re already smitten with that machine, so why not indulge in it? It was only a matter of time before we caught you with your member inside of a gadget.” Maxwell grinned maliciously as he teased Wilson. Wilson blushed wildly and looked sternly at Maxwell, his nostrils flaring with embarrassment and anger. 

“Ugh, I should have known better than to talk to you about this!” Wilson got up, his face was red with embarrassment as he walked away. 

“Oh Higgsbury, be sure to wear rubber!” Maxwell shouted to him as he was walking away. This only earned a glare and stronger blush from Wilson who then walked away even faster. He could hear Maxwell’s laugh as he went back to the camp. He stood still in the cold, and looked around him at the activity of the other survivors. This was driving him crazy, why was this so much more dramatic than it needed to be?

He went off to his workstation and tinkered with the module he intended on adding to Wx-78. As he looked at it he saw his reflection staring back at him from the shining metal, he looked into his own eyes and sighed. Putting the gadget down he looked over the notes he had taken when he was inspecting Wx-78.  _ The wires serve as both connection and insulation _ ... _ even if one was cut there are several more keeping up the communication between the modules _ ... _ Still no sign of that empathy module they’re always prattling on about being damaged _ ,  _ it’s possible they don’t even have one… _ He kept reading on.  _ They look like they’re about to fall asleep, what if I drew a moustache on them?..Their chest is radiating a lot of heat but it’s so comfortable I might fall asleep myself... Their legs are much softer than they look, I’d love to see the insulation used for them but I don’t exactly want to cut them open either... They have lovely hands, there is something graceful about them despite how square those fingers are _ . Wilson blushed and reread his notes, perhaps it was a good thing Wx hadn’t wanted to see them after all. He groans to himself and puts down the notes, hitting the sides of his head like bongo drums. He paces around his workstation and looks towards the tent Wx had claimed so many nights ago, close to the fireplace, but not too close. He looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, and shuffled over to the tent. He peeked inside, but no one was there. His face fell and he exited the tent, pacing around once more. Maybe it was a short task they went off to do? But it could be that they were now avoiding him too. He sucked his teeth in and put his finger up to his chin quizzically. He went over to the cartographers table, this was not only where the survivors shared maps but also where notes were left of interesting locations to check out as well as tasks that needed to be handled. He looked down the list, a lot of the survivors really had to work on their penmanship, but Wickerbottom could only teach so much. 

There were so many mundane tasks to do, but some interesting locations noted as well. “A Clockwork set piece with marble trees around these coordinates, hands full and Abigail damaged, someone else check it out.” was written down in small cursive handwriting. Wilson noted the coordinates and packed up a small bag with gear then went off. Luckily the cold weather was beginning to lighten up a little in the afternoons, the start of spring would arrive soon and with it … Wx-78 would be in a crankier mood. The rain really upset them, and it would sometimes last for days, if Wilson was going to tell them anything, it had to be now. 

Wilson didn’t bother gathering anything on the way to his destination as he had packed well and he didn’t want to lose the trail. Wx-78 was what one would call opportunistic, they’d make quick work of the clockwork and then continue on somewhere else, either going into the caves, the swamp, a quarry, there would be no way of knowing where if Wilson didn’t catch them in time. 

He finally made it to the location that had been written on the note, but it looked like he was too late, the clockworks had been disposed of and their gears taken. The marble trees were also gone. Wilson panted as he had started to walk pretty quickly to get there, he sat down on the plush carpet of the set piece. He put his head in his hands and looked down at the floor, maybe it was better this way. He didn’t even really know what to say. A gear landed in front of him. He looked up towards the direction it was thrown from, the robot standing in front of him, how had he not heard them? 

“YOU LOOK SO SAD AND PATHETIC, DID YOU REALLY WANT GEARS THAT BADLY? I’LL GIVE YOU SOME BECAUSE I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU.” Wx said, reaching into their bag to take out another gear. Wilson looked at Wx for a bit and smiled. 

“Thank you, but that’s not why I’m here.” he said, pushing the gear back towards Wx. Wx squinted and picked the gear back up, putting it in their possessions, they looked at Wilson and tilted their head. 

“WHY ARE YOU HERE THEN? FOR THE CARPET?” they asked, kicking at the carpeted flooring of the clockwork set piece. Wilson laughed as he got up and stood next to Wx.

“No, just wanted to catch you before you went off to do something else.” he said, standing idly by Wx, they stepped back and looked at him strangely. 

“I’M NOT GOING BACK TO THE CAMP YET IF THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE WANTING… YOUR EXPERIMENT WILL HAVE TO WAIT.” they said, looking towards the path to walk to their next location.

“No, I mean I wanted to catch you because I wanted to join you, in whatever you were doing!” Wilson said with a shy smile. Wx perked up and looked at him through squinting eyes. 

“...OK?” they said questioningly. 

“Should I not?” Wilson asked. Wx looked at him boredly and turned around walking off towards who knows where.

“YOU MAY DO WHATEVER YOU WISH.” they said regally, as if they were allowing him the permission. Wilson smiled and walked alongside Wx-78, they tilted their head noticing he was now following them, they said nothing, but Wilson did notice the distance between the two as they walked was very little. 

“So where we headed?” Wilson asked, surveying the area but keeping his hands in his pockets.

“FIRST I WAS GOING TO COLLECT REEDS AT THE SWAMP, I HAVE MANY MATERIALS FOR BLOW DARTS BUT I NEED MORE REEDS AND WICKERBOTTOM IS ALWAYS USING THEM FOR HER BOOKS SO WE RUN OUT!” they ranted. Wilson laughed and nodded.

“She does, but I wouldn’t blame only her, you know… I do use a lot of the papyrus for my own notes.” Wilson said with a cheeky smile. Wx slowly turned to look at him with realization in their face.

“YOU DO. NOW I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WROTE ABOUT MY INNER MECHANISMS TO SEE IF IT WAS WORTH ALL THAT PAPYRUS!” they squinted up at him. Wilson blushed and waved his hand.

“Oh it’s full of scientific jargon, nothing of interest to you, I think. I assure you I use all of my papers for very important matters.” he said, patting Wx’s head. Wx shooed his hand off them and continued to walk. 

“AFTER THAT WE WILL VISIT MY BEE COLONY, IT’S CLOSE TO THE MAIN CAMP. BUT NOT TOO CLOSE AS THE SPRING AGITATES THEM AND IT GETS FRUSTRATING TO BE NEAR THEM.” they said.

“Oh I can think of someone else who’s just like that.” Wilson said, musing over Wx’s increased mood swings in the spring. 

“OH, VERY FUNNY, YOU’RE A COMEDIAN! DID YOU EVER THINK ABOUT SWITCHING PROFESSIONS? OH WAIT I FORGOT, YOU’RE NOT A REAL SCIENTIST.” they said scathingly. As opposed to getting upset, Wilson laughed and smiled ahead. Wx looked at Wilson with surprise but smiled too, they kept their joke up. “BUT WE’RE ALL PRODUCTS OF MAD SCIENCE HERE RIGHT? AFTER ALL I’M THE ONE LETTING THIS WACK JOB PUT A HOMEMADE MODULE INSIDE ME!” they said, earning more laughter from Wilson. They smiled wide in response to Wilson’s laughter. 

“Technically you’re completely homemade, aren’t you? It was just one person who built you.” Wilson said, matter of factly. Wx shook their head.

“ACTUALLY I WAS CREATED IN A FACTORY, THE VERY SAME ONE THE MECHANIC WORKS...OR...WORKED AT. I WAS NOT AWARE OR AWAKE AT THE TIME SO I DIDN’T ACTUALLY MEET HER BEFORE THIS.” they said, with no particular emotion.

“Ooh, no wonder you and her are so close. It must be nice to have something akin to an old friend here, right?” he asked them. They shrugged.

“IT… IS COMFORTING. BUT IT’S MORE THAN JUST THE HISTORY OF HER LABOR. THE MECHANIC IS RELIABLE, IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HER I WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.” they said absentmindedly, though they weren’t too concerned about it, it seemed.

“Wow, I’m getting kind of jealous, you never talk about me that way!” Wilson laughed. Wx blushed and glared at him. 

“GIVE ME SOMETHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT YOU AND MAYBE I WILL.” they said, closing their eyes and turning their head up and away from him. Wilson leaned a bit on Wx as the two walked.

“If I told you what to say then it wouldn’t be  _ your  _ feelings, and I’d just be telling you things I hope to hear from you. But I do know that you’re attracted to me, so that’s one plus.” Wilson said, stroking his beard with a shit-eating grin. Wx-78 gasped and blushed, smacking Wilson’s arm. 

“THAT IS NOT TRUE, I CAN’T FEEL ATTRACTION BECAUSE THAT’S AN ORGANIC THING.” Wx said, squinting up at Wilson. Wilson gently put his arm around Wx, their warmth now being shared, he smiled at them.

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that actions speak louder than words, my dear automaton?” he said, leaning down and placing a kiss gently on Wx’s forehead. They moved their mouth but no words were coming out, though their face was red. Wilson chuckled and felt a tightness in his chest and had a big smile on. “What’s that? Cat got your tongue?” he stopped walking, which caused Wx to stop walking. They looked up at him through their blush, but glaring. Wilson leaned down, wrapping his arms around them and giving them a tight hug. Wx looked around awkwardly, their hands behind Wilson’s back, not sure what to do. They copied his motions and returned the hug. The two embraced amidst the freezing temperatures, it was warm, soft, comforting. Wilson broke away from the hug after a few moments and brought a hand up to caress Wx’s face. They looked at him, then looked away, embarrassed. Wilson chuckled and gestured for the two to continue walking. Wx nodded and let Wilson’s hand fall back to his side before they continued walking. They opened their mouth to say something, but still no words came out, and they walked closer to Wilson instead.

“Hey.” Wilson said to them. They looked at him curiously. “I like you, I'm sorry I haven’t made that clear. You’re not a nuisance, I mean you are frustrating, but I like it. I find lately that all I want to do is seek you out, even when I tell myself I don’t want to, I actually do want to.” he says, looking ahead as the two walked. Wx looked down at the ground listening to Wilson, they closed their eyes. The two walked in silence for a bit, Wx with their eyes closed and Wilson walking next to them. Eventually Wilson noticed Wx veering off a bit to their left and he linked arms with them to keep them on the correct path. Wx leaned on Wilson as the two linked their arms together. They finally spoke up. 

“SO, THE REASON YOU AGREED TO CREATE THE MODIFICATION ON MY BODY…” they looked up at him. Wilson blushed and scratched the back of his head.

“I wanted to experience it with you.” he said. His face was red and he didn’t look directly at them. They grinned and reached up, pinching Wilson’s cheek. Wilson yelped. “Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?” he asked, rubbing his cheek with his free hand. Wx continued to grin and said nothing. Wilson took that as a cue that he could keep talking. “I actually thought that maybe you’d find me pathetic and disgusting for wanting your body in that way, so I kept telling myself it was for science.” he said, Wx perked up and continued to listen to the scientist. “The scientific prospects are certainly enticing, but I guess my real goal was always to stick my junk in a robot.” he shrugs. Wx laughs maliciously and pinches Wilson’s cheek again. Wilson yelps in protest and bats Wx’s hand away. “So… do you hate me and think I’m pathetic and disgusting?” he asks the automaton. They pretended to think really hard about it.

“YES, I DO. BUT I LIKE IT.” they said, leaning on Wilson, the two sharing warmth as they walked. 

Eventually they reached the swamp, the sun directly above them indicating it was close to lunch time. The two separated to gather several stacks of swamp reeds, setting up a small fire in a safe area of the swamp to reconvene when either felt too cold. The two returned to the fire many times, leaning on each other wordlessly. It took them much longer than it should have to collect all the reeds in the swamp. They left and started to walk back towards the camp. 

“THAT TOOK A LOT LONGER THAN IF I HAD JUST GONE ALONE.” Wx said, linking arms with Wilson again and glaring at him. Wilson laughed. 

“It takes two to lean on each other on the fireplace, you could have just kept collecting reeds while I warmed up, Mx. Superior.” he said accusingly. 

“AND LET YOU TAKE ALL THE BREAKS WHILE I DID ALL THE WORK? HMPH!” they said, leaning on him again as the two walked. They walked this way for a while, it was cozy, and Wilson lost track of time, he noticed the path was starting to look familiar, they must be close to the camp at this point. 

“So are these  _ your  _ bees we’re going to visit or do you let anyone else see them?” Wilson asked. 

“THE LIBRARIAN IS ADEPT AT CARING FOR THE BEES, AND SO ARE MANY OTHERS AT THE ENCAMPMENT. I’VE NEVER TOLD YOU BECAUSE YOU’D DEFINITELY KILL THEM.” they said, separating from Wilson and looking around then pointing in a direction and leading him towards the bee boxes. Wilson shrugged, they were probably right. He followed them and saw a few bee boxes, with flowers surrounding them from every angle.

“Wow, these flowers are beautiful, it must have taken a while to plant them all.” he said, feeling calmer just looking at them all. He stepped carefully as not to step on the flowers, towards his robotic companion, eventually coming to a stop in front of the same bee box that they were looking at. 

“IT DID TAKE A BIT, BUT IT’S WORTH IT FOR MY BEE DRONES.” they said, checking on the flowers and the boxes for any damage.

“Doesn’t look like there’s much honey though.” Wilson said, noting the lack of honey. 

“IN THE WINTER THEY DON’T CREATE HONEY, THEY SIMPLY EAT FROM THEIR LAST HONEY PRODUCTION AND STAY WARM TOGETHER.” they said, continuing to check over the box.

“Oh… then why are we checking them?” Wilson asked. 

“BECAUSE AFTER IT SNOWS THE BOXES CAN SOMETIMES CAVE IN, I AM JUST CHECKING FOR ANY DAMAGE, AND TO SEE IF I NEED TO PLANT ANY NEW FLOWERS.” Wx responded.

“Wow, you sure know a lot about beekeeping. They’re lucky to have you.” he says.

“UGH. I’M GETTING TIRED OF ALL YOUR COMPLIMENTS, THEY’RE MAKING ME SICK TO MY STOMACH.” though they were blushing, they were also glaring at him. Wilson giggled and kept quiet.

“Should I inspect the other boxes for any damage?” he asked. 

“YOU CAN BUT I WILL STILL BE INSPECTING THEM BECAUSE I DON’T TRUST THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT TO LOOK FOR. YOU KNOW MACHINES, NOT WOODEN STRUCTURES.” they said, getting up to move onto the next box for inspection. 

“I know machines huh? Interesting coming from a machine themselves.” he teased. Wx rolled their eyes and sighed, continuing to check the boxes. Wilson chopped down a tree nearby, dusting the wood chips off the stump to sit on, and created a fire as it seemed like Wx might take a while to thoroughly check over every box and he wasn’t trying to catch a cold out here. After some time, Wx walked over to the fire, they looked around then glared at Wilson. 

“WHERE’S MY SITTING STUMP?” they asked, offended.

“There was only one tree in this whole area, so one stump.” he shrugged. He glanced up at Wx and smirked, spreading his legs just a bit he patted them with his hands, beckoning Wx to sit on his lap.

“YOU’RE JOKING.” 

“What? You’ve done it before.” Wilson said, raising an eyebrow.

“UGH. IT’S NOT AS FUN IF YOU’RE ENJOYING IT, GET OFF THE STUMP.” they commanded.

“Make me.” Wilson said in a sing-song voice, though he probably should not have and realized that fact much too late. Wx reached down and grabbed Wilson’s shoulders, they lifted him up easily off the stump. They proceeded to sit down on it, then pulled Wilson onto their lap, he gripped them for support as their lap was pretty small. They gave him a malicious grin. 

“YOU WERE SAYING?” they asked. Wilson blinked, he squinted at them and sighed.

“Oh no I’m on your lap, whatever shall I do?” he feigned. Wx squinted at him suspiciously. Wilson batted his eyelashes innocently. The two sat still for a moment, the shared warmth as well as the warmth of the fire made Wilson feel sleepy, his grip on Wx faltered for a moment and he lost his balance. Before he could fall he felt a steady hand on his back which righted him up. It sent shivers up his spine as Wx set him steady on their lap. Wilson blushed and said nothing, but the tension he felt was too much for him. He quickly got up from the robot’s lap and dusted himself off. He cleared his throat, “A-Anyways, let’s move on quickly, right? I want to go back and get something fresh to eat.” 

“YOU CAN GO AHEAD IF YOU WANT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BOXES ARE ALL SAFE AND THERE ARE STILL A FEW I HAVE LEFT TO CHECK.” they said, getting up from the stump and scoping out the boxes he had left. 

“No, it’s alright, I’ll wait for you. I’m just gonna uhm… heat up this thermal stone while trying not to freeze.” he said, putting his thermal stone down next to the fire and pacing around. Wx looked at him oddly before going over to the next bee box and inspecting it. Wilson paced around but stared at them, he put his hands on his head and smacked the sides of it. 

He felt silly, indulging in his little crush was fun but he felt a little like a schoolboy again, wondering if his crush liked him back and trying to be subtle but flirtatious, oh and he was always such a bad flirt. This time was harder because the crush in question had less facial features to discern emotion than usual, and was also not human? Was this really okay in the end, was he taking advantage of a different creature? Should he stop this before it gets too serious? Would it even get serious? After all there was no confirmation that Wx really liked him back. Oh no. What if they didn’t? What if they were just toying with him, waiting for the right opportunity to hurt his feelings?

He continued to pace, the snow around the area he was pacing had melted and Wx was watching him for a second before they started to laugh, breaking Wilson from his anxiety induced trance.

“OH MY GOD. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I’VE ONLY BEEN GONE A FEW MINUTES AND YOU’RE OVER HERE HAVING ONE OF YOUR LITTLE MELTDOWNS FOR NO REASON.” they said with a grin. Wilson blushed and huffed, he picked up the thermal stone, pocketing it and pouting. 

“I was just… thinking about things.”

“WHAT KIND OF THINGS?” 

“I-I don’t know. Things. None of your business, are we going or not?” he said, annoyed. Wx raised an eyebrow.

“MIND YOUR MANNERS, HIGGSBURY.” they said, smirking and smacking Wilson’s arm before they linked their arm with his again. Wilson yelped from the smack but perked up, not only did they just use his family name non-maliciously but they were also willingly linking arms with him today, even though there was no logical reason to. He smiled dumbly to himself and walked with Wx as the two leaned on each other with their arms linked. 

It would be dusk soon when they arrived at the camp. Unfortunately for Wilson’s anxiety, several of the survivors were at the base, and had seen the two walk in with their arms linked, leaning on each other. The two got some stares, but everyone seemed a little too busy to care. Though he could swear from his peripheral vision that Winona was watching him like a hawk. Wilson continued to walk towards the storage with Wx.

“Should we put everything away now?” he asks, breaking apart from them. They pouted and shrugged.

“LATER. THE TIME FOR SUSTENANCE IS NOW.” they said, putting their bag down and rushing off to the kitchen area. Wilson blinked, rolling his eyes, he put his bag down beside Wx’s and walked towards the kitchen area too. As he got closer he felt queasy, everyone was staring at him, they looked at Wx too but Wx didn’t seem to notice or care about the stares, true to their word. Wilson waved awkwardly at everyone and went to one of the ice boxes, grabbing something quick and easy to eat. He sat down on one of the empty logs by the kitchen area, quietly eating, and feeling like he wanted to be buried in a hole. Wx grabbed something to eat from the ice box and sat down next to Wilson, they leaned on him as they ate and crossed one leg over the other. Wilson’s eyes widened as he blushed and looked around, the other survivors noticed Wx’s behavior and were whispering among themselves. The whispers felt like they were eating at Wilson’s brain, even if he couldn’t exactly hear what they were saying. 

“ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?” he suddenly heard Wx say from beside him. 

“Huh?” said Wilson. Wx groaned.

“I SAID AFTER THIS WE CAN GO BACK TO MY TENT.” they said, in their loud voice, in a public area, where several people were currently eating, all around them. Wilson blushed wildly and sputtered as he heard various people giggle. 

“Y-you mean to my workstation don’t you?! After all this Scientific, Purely Business, Endeavor needs a safe work area!” he said. Wx looked at him weirdly.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I TOLD YOU I WANT TO DO IT IN PRIVATE.”

“HAH, yea! That’s fine! We can complete our experiment, one which is for science, and that is all, and it will be great!” Wilson said, feeling frantic.

“ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING? YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT SHODDY JUNK YOU INTEND ON PLACING INSIDE ME RIGHT?-” Wx began, before being cut off by Wilson.

“Oh My God, Wx, Please Stop Talking.” Wilson said, his face had reached lethal levels of red, he felt like he could really just visit the ruins this very moment and it would still not be a deep enough hole for him to hide in. The other survivors stared wildly at the two, some of them giggling loudly, a few of them just left the kitchen area entirely. Wilson buried his face in his hands and groaned. Wx looked at him strangely but shrugged, continuing to eat their late lunch. Once Wilson looked up again it looked like the other survivors had calmed down on their whispers, or had left, they weren’t too concerned with what Wilson and Wx were doing really, even if it did seem strange; though that didn’t stop Wilson from worrying about it. 

After they finished up eating Wx got up from the log and offered their hand to Wilson. Wilson looked at it then up at Wx, he smiled as he took their hand and they helped him up. This still garnered stares from the survivors, and Wilson felt like he had his own paparazzi or something. He sighed as he walked towards his workstation. Wx pouted.

“HEY, I SAID-” they started

“I know, but I left the things we need back in my workstation. I’ll meet you in the tent alright? I won’t be long.” he said, saluting them, and going to his workstation while they headed towards their tent. As he gathered his things he heard footsteps behind him, and not mechanical ones either, he dreaded turning around, but luckily that was decided for him. Strong hands gripped his shoulders and turned him around by force, Winona stood face to face with him, squinting at him. He flinched. 

“O-oh, Hello Miss Winona, how may I help you?” he asked her, slightly intimidated by her muscles and her stern stare.

“What was that?” she asked him.

“What do you mean?” he replied. 

“All of that at the kitchen area? Just yesterday Wx was freaking out about YOU and here you are toying with ‘em, just like you toy with everything you deem as a worthy scientific pursuit.” she said, quite scathingly. Wilson winced.

“Alright, I deserve that, but I’m not toying with them. I…” he gulped.

“What? Out with it bad-hair-day.” she snapped her fingers. Wilson pouted and fussed with his hair, it was not a bad hairstyle, why was everyone so… he shook his head, not the point. 

“I like them! I do, I’m attracted to them and I like them and I’m just trying to see where it goes, line me up for the guillotine!” he said, throwing his hands up in defeat. Winona looked surprised, but not upset or disgusted, like he thought she might be. 

“I see, well I’ve got my eye on you. I know Wx-78 isn’t perfect but they’re dear to me and I won’t have anyone hurting them, especially when they’ve finally let themselves be open with their feelings.” she said, glaring at Wilson. 

“I-I assure you I understand that I’ve done wrong in the past. I’ve seen creatures and sentient beings as experiments and that was wrong, it’s heartless and I don’t intend on keeping up that trend of thinking.” he says nervously. She glares at him then finally sighs.

“Well, I’ll believe you Higgsbury. Don’t take this confrontation the wrong way or nothin, I like you, I just think sometimes you can be insensitive and I don’t wanna be a part of any drama that breaks out between you two.” she says, holding her temples. 

“Hah, well that’s just how friendship is sometimes isn’t it? I’m happy they have someone who cares so deeply about them, though I am a bit jealous of your relationship.” he ponders aloud, stroking his beard.

“With that beard compared to my muscles you sure wouldn’t stand a chance if I tried it.” she laughed. Wilson pouted and stroked his beard more.

“It’s not that bad, is it?” he said, looking in the reflection off of one of his gadgets at himself. Winona placed her hand on it and put it down, so he could make eye contact with her again.

“Yes. It is. But luckily for you I just mend machines, you’re the only one who fucks ‘em up around here.” she smirks and punches Wilson’s arm playfully. He gasps and his face turns red.

“The crude jokes around here are just atrocious, how do you all know what we’ve been up to anyhow!?” he asked with a huff. Winona laughed and put her hand on his shoulder.

“I didn’t know. It was a joke, I see now that it has backfired because I learned information I really rather would not have known, Higgsbury. But good for you, good for them. I’m gonna head out now.” she said, promptly seeing herself as far away from Wilson’s workstation as she could get. Wilson blushed and cleared his throat. Well there goes that secret. He gathered up the materials he needed to work on Wx and headed towards their tent, close to the fireplace, but not too close.


	14. A new feeling.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Playing with electricity and having a 3am snack together isn't gay if you say no homo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically like the summary says... fun with electricity TEEHEE, it's wx's turn to feel something nice for once. Also kind of a super fluffy chapter sorry if you prefer when they kill each other lol

Upon arriving at the tent Wx had their back turned to him. He looked curiously at the bot then called out their name.

“Wx?” they turned around.

“YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT TELLING TIME.” they said, looking annoyed. Wilson could have defended himself and told them that the reason they dilly dallied was because of Winona but he didn’t see a point in it. 

“Well, are you ready to experience pleasure?” Wilson asked, the question sounded a lot weirder spoken aloud. He put on his rubber gloves and goggles, holding the module in his hand, it looked pristine. Wx looked at the module then at Wilson. They fidgeted with their fingers. 

“YOU DO IT THIS TIME.” they said, gesturing to their chassis. Wilson perked up, trying to hide his excitement. 

“Really? I can?” he asked. Wx squinted at him. Wilson didn’t want to ruin his chance, the more he got to know of the machine the more it excited him, not just from a crush level but also from an astonishment-at-this-mechanical-marvel-sitting-right-in-front-of-him kind of level. He crawled towards Wx and set his module down beside them, reaching up he tried to unscrew the screws himself but they were pretty tight, Wx had made it look so easy to unscrew. Luckily he had come prepared, reaching into his toolbox he took a screwdriver and gently twisted it to unscrew the bolts holding Wx’s chestplate in place. They were looking away, as if they were about to get pricked by a needle. Wilson appreciated that they were giving him this chance even if they were clearly not too keen about it. After unscrewing the bolts he gently set them aside and set the chestplate aside as well. He stared at the moving cogs for a moment, hearing the electricity emanating from Wx’s chest. 

They looked back down at him, and wondered if pushing his face into their mechanisms would short circuit themselves or only hurt him, perhaps another time. They watched as the scientist looked around with a small flashlight at their mechanisms, it was making them a bit queasy. They still weren’t sure if they could fully trust Wilson, for all they knew that module would just override all their free will and convert them into a mechanized house pet. They wanted to believe that he would never, but they didn’t fully believe that. They looked away, no one ever said experimenting came without risks.

“This might hurt a little, I’ll be quick.” Wilson said. Wx tensed up, they nodded silently and prepared themselves for whatever pain Wilson meant. Wilson reached into their chassis with the module in his hand and went past sensitive wires, touching them brought pain to Wx, their systems automatically coded to detect any obstructions in their delicate wiring. They hissed and gripped at the ground as Wilson clipped and connected a few wires into the module, making sure everything was still properly connected, but with his addition. He delicately removed his hand from their chassis, the wires settling back into their original positions, it almost looked like nothing was added. Wx-78 breathed deeply before they felt nominal again, the pain had quickly subsided, but they didn’t feel anything new or special. They tilted their head at Wilson.

“WHAT IS IT SUPPOSED TO FEEL LIKE?” they asked. Wilson was getting out some kind of rod from his tools, it looked like it could hold a current. 

“Oh, it’s not active yet. For now I rigged it so that it could only be activated with certain voltages of electricity.” Wilson said, making sure his goggles were properly in place and that his rubber gloves were secure as he held the electronic rod in his hand. Wx-78 looked at him cautiously. They backed away a bit in fear. Wilson realized how this looked.

“This won’t hurt, I promise, it’s set very low, it shouldn’t interfere with your system. Why, this voltage is so low that I could touch it and be fine.” he assured them. They still looked cautious so Wilson decided to put his money where his mouth was. He put the gadget down and took off his rubber gloves, then he grabbed the rod with his bare hands. “YEEEErrrghhh, OOh that feels weird and painful but mostly strange.” said Wilson, taking his hands away from the rod, electricity jittering through his body for a moment before it passed. He shook his head and put his gloves back on. “See?” he said. 

Wx looked at Wilson with wide eyes, he really was mad wasn’t he? They took a deep breath and nodded.

“OK.” they said, sitting still, but their body language was still tense. Wilson crawled over with the rod. Wx squeezed their eyes shut as Wilson simply touched their side with it. They yelped loudly and pushed Wilson away.

“What!? What happened? D-Did that hurt?! I’m so sorry Wx, I’m so sorry I thought it was perfect I could have sworn…” he put down the gadget and gripped at their arm with remorse, he removed his goggles and looked closely at Wx. They blinked and slowly sat up. 

“N-NO IT’S FINE… IT JUST… INITIALLY FELT LIKE PAIN. BUT I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN? TRY AGAIN.” they said, sitting up straight. Wilson exhaled a sigh of relief and picked the rod up once more, gently placing it on Wx’s side. They flinched and let out a gasp but didn’t push Wilson away this time. They squinted and furrowed their brows before gripping Wilson’s wrist and pulling the rod away. Wilson kept it away from them and studied their expression. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

“I… DON’T...KNOW…” they said, spaced out. Maybe Wilson had gotten it wrong, maybe it wasn’t translating as anything to them and it was just confusing them. He sighed.

“I’m sorry Wx, I must have made an error somewhere, I can take this back and-” he started but Wx gripped his wrist harder.

“NO, ONE MORE TIME, I THINK.” they said, though they sounded more confused than anything. Wilson appreciated that they were trying at least. He reached up and this time set the rod against Wx’s neck. They exhaled slowly and leaned into it, their expression was peaceful. “WILSON…” they said, quieter than usual, but definitely loud enough to be heard. They snapped their eyes open and suddenly pushed Wilson away. Wilson had to gather himself to keep the rod from shocking him, he blushed deeply and looked at Wx.

“Uhm… yes?” 

“I WASN’T CALLING YOU.”

“You just said my name.”

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, I DIDN’T DO THAT.” Wx said, a bit frantically, and gripping at the ground. 

Wilson smirked, “Oh I heard you.” he said, leaning on Wx’s shoulder. 

“STOP.” they glared at him. Wilson shrugged.

“Ok, that’s enough information for the experiment anyhow. Guess i’ll just be taking this then.” he said, holding the rod in his hand and slowly reaching into his bag. Wx-78 stared at the rod for a moment and then gripped Wilson’s wrist.

“NO.” they said curtly. 

“No?” Wilson asked, he giggled a bit. He was starting to feel like maybe it did work… 

“I… ONE MORE TIME. I NEED TO PROCESS IT.” they said, squeezing Wilson’s wrist. 

“As you command,” he said to them. He held the rod and was about to place it back on their side when Wx gently slid their hand over Wilson’s and guided the rod in between their thighs. As soon as it touched them they gripped Wilson’s hand, it was a bit shaky. They looked away from him but their face was red. Wilson smiled and gently took the rod away. They reached for it with their hand but Wilson shook his head. “I just want to get into a nicer resting spot if that’s alright.” he said. Wx looked at him and nodded quietly. 

Wilson sat behind them, wrapping his legs around them and pulling them close, his chest almost pressed up on them, they could feel his breath on their back. “Just relax, okay? Don’t worry about this, I’ll hold it for you.” he said, in reference to the rod. Wx-78 shivered a bit and nodded, they had been surprisingly quiet for quite a long while. He hoped this was just a reaction to the sensation and not a fatal error in the programming. As he sat behind them he brought the rod back in between Wx’s thighs and rubbed it along them. Wx-78 gasped and tensed up, they started to squirm a bit. Wilson put his arm around their tummy and held them close, he kissed the back of their neck. “Should I stop?” he asked. They shook their head. Wilson continued moving the rod up and along Wx’s thighs, laying gentle and sensual kisses on the back of their neck. They did relax their body a bit but it was still tense despite the seemingly pleasurable sensations. He realized he still hadn’t heard them say much of anything and started to really worry that something had gone wrong. He reached up and pinched their arm. Wx78 let out a moan before they let out a yelp, at least what it sounded like. It had been garbled, like a machine that had sprung back to life after being deliberately turned off. They gasped and quickly pushed Wilson away, the rod falling on the ground in front of them. Wilson’s eyes widened as he blushed and gathered himself, crawling to sit next to them. They shut their eyes and held their face in their hands while continuing to breath, their breath slowly steadying. Wilson tapped his fingers on his knees.

“So-”

“DON’T.” they stopped him.

“You know this was the goal, you don’t have to feel embarrassed…” he blushed as he said so. Wx glared at him, their face full of flustered rage. 

“WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU…” they gave him a look full of malice.

“Well I am a pretty good scientist.” Wilson said, stroking his beard. Wx gave him a deadpan stare. Wilson gulped. “Anyways, that was enlightening. I’ll see about giving you actual erogenous zones to enhance the feeling.” he said, continuing to stroke his beard and getting up. Wx-78 reached out and gripped his vest, they looked at the floor but held their hand steady.

“JUST ONCE MORE…” they said, tugging at his vest. Wilson couldn’t help the grin that spread across his lips. He kneeled down in front of them and held their cheeks in his hand to lift their face up, making eye contact.

“It’s customary to say please when one wants something.” he said with his cheeky grin. 

“BITE ME.” Wx said as they glared at him. Wilson shrugged and made a movement to get up again. Wx easily pulled his leg out from under him, causing him to fall on his face.

“Ow! You didn’t have to do that, I’m just teasing you.” Wilson said, rubbing at his side. Wx crawled up and over Wilson, they reached for the rod but Wilson held it steady. “Hey! Stop that!” he said, putting a hand on their face and pushing them away to keep the rod out of their reach. He pushed them to the side then stood up. Wx quickly stood up too, but alas, they were shorter and smaller than Wilson. He kept it out of reach, on his tiptoes.

“AAAGH, YOUR MEAT LEGS ARE TOO BIG! GIVE IT TO ME!” they yelled out, reaching up for the device.

“Haha. You’re so small, it never really hit me how small you are, it’s adorable.” Wilson cooed. Wx fumed, they stomped on Wilson’s foot, causing him to keel over. Wx-78 successfully grabbed the rod and then grinned.

“HAH. YOU’RE A FOOL TO THINK I WON’T HAVE MY WAY.” 

“You don’t even know how it works, come on give it here.” Wilson said, reaching back for the rod. Wx held Wilson's face in place as he reached for the device, they grinned. 

“NUH UH.” they said, sticking their tongue out. Wilson sighed deeply.

“Ok fine, guess you win…” he said, and stood up and away from Wx. They grinned triumphantly. But it also meant they let their guard down! Wilson twirled around Wx, grabbing the rod and then holding it teasingly over Wx. They huffed.

“YOU’RE SO ANNOYING!” they began to reach for it, Wilson brought a finger down to their mouth. He gave them a look, they squinted and relaxed a bit. He stepped up to them and leaned down, wrapping both arms around them in a hug. They side eyed him as the two hugged. “ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO DISTRACT ME?”

“I’m trying to be intimate, just wait a moment.” Wilson said, kind of annoyed. He brought the rod down against Wx’s back, they flinched and then relaxed in Wilson’s arms. Wilson rubbed their back with the rod, mimicking a back massage. The robot cooed in his arms and he started to notice they were getting heavier as they relaxed, leaning their weight on Wilson. He led Wx down so they could both sit, and continued the action, they looked like they could fall asleep at any moment. 

“IT’S DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE… BUT THIS ONE IS BETTER.” they said, practically cuddling into Wilson’s arms. Wilson blushed and felt a different kind of excitement in his chest. Like the type of excitement you feel when your lap is chosen to be cuddled on by a stray kitten. He realized then what Wx had said.

“It’s different? There are different forms of pleasure, it’s not always sexual. The module connects to all your inner wiring so it must be parsing the code differently for your different body parts.” Wilson mused. 

“QUIET.” Wx said, enjoying their back rub. They were cuddled and relaxed in Wilson’s arms, their head nuzzled under his chin as he rubbed their back with the rod. Eventually the warmth of their body and his own repetitive motion started to put him to sleep, he noticed Wx had nodded off a little bit ago, it was still early dusk, the two would most likely awaken when it was still night, but at this moment Wilson didn’t particularly care. He dropped the rod, it rolled away from the two, and let himself fall backwards onto the fur roll with Wx laying on his chest. 

\---

“..IENTIST.” Wilson heard in his groggy state, he turned around on the fur roll and attempted to sleep again. “SCIENTIST!” he heard a little louder and squinted his eyes open. He could barely see anything in the pitch black of the night.

“...Wx?” he whispered. 

“NO, THE OTHER ROBOT IN THE CAMP.” they said sarcastically. Wilson squinted again and sat up, beginning to make out the silhouette of Wx-78 in the darkness.

“What happened?” he asked. 

“YOU TELL ME, ONE SECOND EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THE NEXT I’VE BEEN PUT TO SLEEP BY YOU, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL?” they said accusingly.

“Trying to pull? Ugh, you fell asleep because you felt comfortable, you ninny.” Wilson replied, scratching his head and holding his growling stomach. 

“WE WILL HAVE TO EAT LATE NOW THANKS TO YOUR IDIOTIC INVENTION.” they said, throwing their hands up in the air. 

Wilson reached out, they meant to put a hand on Wx’s shoulder but accidentally put a hand on their face. They moved it down to their shoulder.

“I can take the module out if you don’t like it.” he said with a yawn.

“NO. IT’S MINE NOW. JUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HOW DUMB AND USELESS YOU ARE.” they huffed.

“Yeah ok, I do. Can we go eat now?”

“OK.” they said, grabbing a lantern and turning it on abruptly. This caused Wilson to groan.

“A little warning next time?” Wilson said, aggravated and grumpy from not eating. 

“I TURNED ON THE LIGHT.” Wx grinned. 

“Thanks, really appreciate it.” Wilson said as sarcastically as he could muster. Wx giggled and left the tent, Wilson dragging himself up behind them. The camp was freezing and Wilson just wanted to go back to bed honestly, but he was really hungry too. He reached out for Wx-78, they turned to look at him. He clung to their arm as they walked, they said nothing and turned back to look at the path. 

Making it to the kitchen area Wx-78 looked in the ice boxes for something they could eat easily and then return to the tent. As Wx looked in the ice boxes Wilson noticed a torch nearby, looking in its direction he saw Ms. Wickerbottom weaving some hats together, presumably in preparation for the spring. She didn’t seem to notice the two.

Wx-78 shoved a bunwich in Wilson’s hands, they had an identical one in their own hand. Wilson smiled.

“Thanks.” Wx nodded and sat down on a log, lighting up one of the fire pits in the seating area. Wilson sat next to them and ate the sandwich in silence. The two glanced at each other while eating but neither had much for conversation right now, not that their brains could even decipher anything since they were both half asleep. Wilson looked up at the moon, it would be close to a full moon soon, just in time for spring. He glanced at Wx, who had finished their food quickly and was now relaxing, holding their hands to the fire. Wilson continued to eat, scooting in closer so he was squishing against Wx. They didn’t seem to mind or care, not even turning to look at him as they gathered the heat from the fire within their body. 

“When it’s not cold...do you ever want to sleep outside? Under the stars and the full moon?” Wilson asked, finishing up his sandwich. Wx stared at the fire, not looking at Wilson, but contemplating. 

“IF I SLEEP DURING A FULL MOON THEN I WON’T BE ABLE TO SEE IT.” they replied.

“Hmm... back in my cottage I always found sleeping under a full moon very comforting. Like it was watching over me.” he said as he stared at the moon. Wx looked up at it too. The two sat for a moment, the fire crackling beside them, grasshoppers and crickets singing into the night. 

“WAS IT BETTER, LIVING ALONE?” Wx asked. Wilson didn’t have any particular expression on his face.

“I thought it was the only way to keep myself away from distractions. But when I heard his voice on the radio, it wasn’t just the promise of knowledge that lured me in. I suppose I should have been a bit more discerning with who I blindly trusted.” he said with a sigh. Wx stared at the fire, fidgeting with their fingers and staying silent. Wilson continued, “As much I hate it here, I now have people I can depend on, people I care about.” Wilson leaned on Wx, “And a robot too.” he said with a chuckle. Wx rolled their eyes and lightly pinched Wilson’s arm, they smirked and leaned on him. He leaned on them too, placing his head on top of theirs, their head was cold. Wilson put his bodyweight on Wx, who turned to look at him with a glare. “Let’s go back.” he whined. Wx nodded, getting up and gripping Wilson’s vest so that he would get up faster. Wilson flailed and got up, following Wx closely behind. 

The two made their way back to the tent and got cozy in the fur roll. Wilson exhaled a sigh at relief over being back in the warmth. Wx scooted into the fur roll next to Wilson, with their back turned towards him. Wilson looked at their smooth metallic exterior then sat up, looking around. Locating the rod once more he turned it on, rather foolishly since he didn’t have his rubber gloves on, but he was ok leaving it to chance. He held it up to Wx’s neck. They flinched suddenly but relaxed and leaned into the touch. They scooted backwards and into Wilson’s arms as he moved the rod down their body, the low voltage soothing them, lulling them back into a sleepy stupor. Wilson felt so cozy once more, he put the rod down and gently slid his hands around the robot, hugging them close and falling asleep with them in his arms. 


	15. Tension brewing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything was going great, until Wx gets struck by lightning, they're acting a bit strange but they won't tell Wilson what's wrong, everything goes to shit in 5 minutes.

Wilsons eyes drifted open, a beam of light entering through the tent flap, the hue outside looked a bit different, less pale blue. He looked around again, this wasn’t his tent… He looked around frantically wondering whose tent he had walked into when he remembered last night and blushed. Had things advanced so quickly already? He was already being so intimate with them? He looked around for the rod that he had used on Wx, it was nowhere to be found… Come to think of it, neither was Wx. He got up and out of the tent, and was immediately bombarded by rain. So spring had arrived.

“Hello Mr. Higgsbury!” sounded off Walter, with a familiar bark by his side. Woby hopped up on Wilson’s legs excitedly. Wilson waved warmly at the two, though the water was starting to bug him. Walter handed him an umbrella that he had on his person and smiled up at him. “Oh, thank you Walter!” he said, bowing his head graciously. Walter grinned and saluted.

“A Pinetree Pioneer is always prepared Mr. Higgsbury!” he said confidently, then continued to look at Wilson. Wilson tilted his head as the raindrops fell on his umbrella. “You and Wx-78 sure are spending a whooooole lot of time together.” he looked at Wilson curiously. 

“Yes well, that’s just what one does with friends.” Wilson said confidently.

“Yeah well! Can you put in a good word for me? I want to see if they can shoot lasers!” Walter said excitedly, Woby bounced around in response to Walter’s emotions. 

“Lasers?” Wilson repeated.

“Yeah! I mean, or other stuff, I just think it might be cool to be friends with a robot.” he said with a grin. Wilson laughed.

“I’ll put in a good word for you.” said Wilson with a smile. 

“Aw yea! Thanks Mr. Higgsbury, see ya around!” Walter said, running off excitedly with his umbrella and snazzy rain boots. Wilson wondered for a moment if he’d look good in rain boots himself. He looked around wondering where that robot had gone off to before his stomach started to protest at being empty. He sighed and went off to the kitchen area, but he still felt pretty cold, maybe he’d make a raincoat after he ate something. Holding the umbrella, he looked around at the other survivors, waving good morning to them as he passed by. He arrived at the kitchen area just in time to see Willow and Wes arguing over how to make fish sticks.

“Hey Willow, Wes-” he began before being cut off. 

“It’s only ONE fish wes, ONE fish, ONE stick!” Willow said grumpily. 

Wes shook their head and waved their hands wildly, holding up 2 fingers and then 1 on his other hand. 

“If you put in TWO fish you have a chance of making MEAT BALLS you little French menace!”

Wes stamped his foot and shook his head with his whole arms, waving them about wildly. 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN MEATBALLS DON’T HAVE FISH, FISH IS MEAT ISN’T IT? WHAT’S THE DAMN RECIPE, MIME?” she yelled. Wes huffed and took ingredients from the ice box, putting them in a crockpot. They grinned. Willow gasped. The two waited in front of the crockpot, and soon fishsticks came out! Willow gasped again as Wes grinned cheekily. 

“Dammit, you were right. Ok, here.” she said, handing Wes the glowberry she had been saving. Wes danced around and put their arm around Willow, twirling her around and bowing. Willow laughed then looked at the fishsticks. “I don’t actually like fish.” she said, scratching her head and looking at the crockpot. Wes had a bored look on his face and took a wobster out of the fridge, pointing at it curiously. “That’s different, crustaceans are delicious. Fish just taste like Fish.” she waved her hand. Wes lifted up a finger to protest when Wilson cleared his throat beside them.

“Ahem?” he said meekly. Willow and Wes perked up.

“Wilson! You look well rested for once.” Willow said, Wes nodding in agreement. 

“Hum, I am actually! Quite well rested, but also famished. If the two of you won’t eat those I’ll take them.” he said, referring to the fishsticks. Willow and Wes both shrugged. He walked over and took one right off the crockpot and started to eat it as he stood. Willow tapped her fingers on her arm as she had them crossed, she looked around awkwardly. She made eye contact with Wes who shrugged, then looked back at Wilson. 

“Sooo….” she said, with a hint of morbid curiosity in her voice. Wilson looked up at her as he fished for the other stick. “Why did you go to Wx’s tent last night anyways?” Wilson gulped, he bit into the fishstick as he searched for a way to answer this. Both Willow and Wes looked at him curiously. He swallowed a bite then a lightbulb lit up over his head.

“Well they did mention to you that they were getting a body modification, correct?” he said. Willow nodded, Wes smiled at the information that was new to them. Wilson nodded too, he continued, “Basically, I made it so that electricity no longer hurts them. They went insane every time electricity struck them because despite the physical benefits of their body being made to absorb that much electricity, it still mimics a pain response emotionally that then drives them crazy.” he said, it was nonsense he was making up but it sounded real enough. 

Willow and Wes look at each other, understanding passing through their faces.

“Oooh, that explains a lot.” Willow said, nodding. Wilson paused and stared at her curiously.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“It explains why they’ve been running around trying to get struck by lightning all morning.” Willow said.

“WHAT?!” Wilson shouted in surprise. Wes and Willow were taken back a bit but she continued.

“Yeah, they got struck near the camp and froze up then suddenly said they had to go and they were climbing on everything and trying to get struck again. Then everytime they did they had this dumb look on their face.” Willow said, trying to imitate the dumb grin that Wx had on as they had gotten struck by lightning. Wilson gulped, whatever reaction they were having to the lightning was probably not good.

“I’m … going to try and find them, to check on them. Thanks for the sticks.” he says as he gathers some things and walks away from the camp towards where Willow had said she had seen them getting struck. Unfortunately, close to the camp there was a dense forest, if they were trying to get struck on purpose they would definitely move somewhere else. The speed that they moved at when overloaded was much faster than Wilson could keep up with even with the walking cane, not that he could use it with the Umbrella in his hand anyhow. He stopped walking.

“Hey wait a moment… I have two hands, why couldn’t I just-” he started to say aloud. As if on cue, the rain cleared up, the sky was still grey but it looked like it was starting to turn blue. “Oh, what a coincidence!” he said to himself then put his umbrella away, using his walking cane to walk faster. He wondered where they could be, now that the rain was gone they would certainly not stand around and wait for lightning that wouldn’t come. Wilson stepped forward then stopped. What was he doing? Wx-78 was perfectly capable of handling themselves, the concern was so ridiculous. Then again, if something had happened to them because of the module that  _ he  _ installed, he would feel awful. But why would they be smiling if they were in any pain? But the module wasn’t supposed to handle that much electricity… Did he not think to program something for lightning strikes? Well he did figure they’d always wear a raincoat. Wait, was it the raincoat or the rain hat that prevented the charge from going through? He had trampled the grass under his feet into a circle as he paced around, then noticed this and sighed. There was no reason to be worried over a robot who was more capable and stronger than him, but he truly couldn’t stop thinking about it. If only there were a way to communicate with anyone in the world effortlessly and instantly so they could tell him where they went off to. Ugh.

He hit the sides of his head like bongos and kept walking anyways, hoping to distract himself from all of his thoughts. Wx this, Wx that, he hadn’t done any work in weeks and all he could think about was this accursed robot. He kicked a rock disdainfully and crossed his arms. Would he ever find out if they cared about him the way he felt he cared about them? Did he though? He kicked another rock. The original goal was to find out how Wx-78 worked because they were surprisingly simple for something that was so complex. A machine that could walk and talk like a human, at least… human enough. With wants and needs and desires, but it was just some gears and wires, where was the logic?! He had successfully infiltrated and manipulated that programming to add something to it, but what if it was always there and he simply gave it an outlet? After all, it wasn’t like Wx was oblivious to intimacy, though it definitely brought into question how in the world they learned it. 

He remembered the other day, Wx had actually said Wickerbottoms last name rather than calling her the librarian, maybe they had more conversations about this in the past, and she’s always willing to teach a curious mind. How would you even ask about that? He started to imagine it in his head,

_ Wx burst into a classroom. ‘HELLO MISS WICKERBOTTOM I’D LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT SEX.’ _

_ ‘Oh but I’m far too beautiful and refined to teach you about it, here, this ruffian is more your style.’ said Wickerbottom, wearing a gorgeous black dress and a feather boa, she exited the classroom.  _

_ Wilson walked into the classroom, walking over to Wx and dipping them. ‘I’ll take it from here. I’ll teach you everything you need to know about it, my little trinket.’  _

_ Wx swooned and wrapped their arms around Wilson ‘THIS WILL NEVER WORK, IDIOT. YOU HAVE TO BE THE STUPIDEST SON OF A BITCH I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE.’ they said with a malicious smile. _

Wilson got hit in the face with reality as he very nearly walked into a tree. He looked up from the path, then stopped. He didn’t recognize where he was at all. He took out his map and grumbled, his dumb daydream could get him killed if wasn’t careful. He wasn’t even sure why he was walking at this point if it wasn’t going to work as a distraction. Might as well return to the camp. He looked around sadly, hoping that by some coincidence he would find them running around but no such luck… At least it was a nice day.

He trudged himself back towards the camp, using the map to find the right way, he gathered some materials on the way so it wouldn’t look like he went out for nothing. He tried to stay focused on walking so he wouldn’t start daydreaming again. One foot in front of the other… Left, Right… He stopped for a moment and blew hot air onto his hands, shivering and trying to warm himself up. He looked around again, he could swear he was seeing things from his peripheral vision. Was he already starting to see the nightmare creatures? He knew he was getting stressed with this whole intimacy situation but he didn’t think it was that bad. He rushed towards the camp, walking faster as he felt something watching him. The camp came into view and he relaxed, slowing down and looking behind him, but no one was there. He gripped at his walking stick and walked into the camp. He could see several survivors out and about, none the wiser about whatever he was followed by. He exhaled in relief when suddenly he felt a weight around his shoulders and his body being pulled. 

“HAHAHAHA, YOU GOT SO SCARED!” he heard a familiar synth voice say from beside him. They had pulled him close to themselves and were now grinning wide at him. Wilson could see from the way they glowed that they were still overloaded. He pouted.

“I went out to look for you!”

“I KNOW. I COULD SEE YOU FROM A MILE AWAY, IF YOU WERE TRYING TO SNEAK UP ON ME YOU WERE REALLY BAD AT IT.”

“I wasn’t! I was just worried.”

“WHY?” 

“Well when Willow told me that you were willingly letting yourself get shocked by lightning…” he said, squinting. Wx wrapped their arm around Wilson, resting their hand on his hip. He blinked and felt a bit tense.

“YEAH.” Wx said, not offering any explanation whatsoever. They slipped their hand below Wilson’s pants and squeezed his bare ass. Wilson yelped and jumped away from them.

“What are you doing!?” he blushed furiously and rubbed at his buttocks. 

“HAVING FUN.” they giggled and stepped towards Wilson. Wilson was backed into a wall as Wx approached him. He could see some of the other survivors were moments from turning around, they’d probably think Wx was harassing him. He put his hand on their shoulder and backed them up.

“Right, well, are you okay?” he asked, genuinely concerned for the robots well being. They pouted and reached up, draping their arms on Wilson’s shoulders and hanging off him.

“YES. CARRY ME.” they said, nuzzling their head on his chest. Wilson blushed and looked around wildly. 

“I-I, what?!”

“CARRY MEEEE, CARRY ME NOW! I DEMAND IT.” Wx-78 whined, Wilson started to worry that the lightning had done a bit more to Wx than they were letting on.

“You know I’m not strong enough to carry you, are you just making fun of me?” he asked with a huff. Wx-78 looked to be processing information, they squinted and then got off of Wilson, placing one fist in the open palm of their other hand as if they just had an epiphany. 

“THAT’S TRUE, YOU’RE WEAK. I’LL CARRY YOU.” they said.

“Wait what-” Wilson began before he was interrupted by the way his feet suddenly left the ground and he was being held bridal style by the robot. They giggled and looked into Wilson’s eyes as they carried him. His face was red as the other survivors were clearly looking his way. He truly wished it didn’t bother him but it was incredibly embarrassing. “Where are we going?!” he asked the robot.

“TO THE TENT. OBVIOUSLY.” they said, rushing off to their tent. Wilson covered his face in embarrassment, but he did still notice their wording.

“ _ The _ Tent?” he repeated questioningly.

“YEAH.” confirmed Wx. 

“So are you saying it’s our tent? I thought it was just yours.” he said, smirking as the two reached the tent and Wx practically threw him inside. 

“SHUT UP.” they said, glaring. They pinned him to the ground immediately and sat on his hips, licking their lips. Wilson blushed but he had a feeling something wasn’t right. 

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I WANT TO PLEASURE YOU.” they said, nonchalantly. Wilson was flush with embarrassment, but he was still not buying it. 

“You’re acting strange, tell me what happened with the lightning.” he said, gripping Wx’s hands so they’d stay in place. They gasped and glared at him.

“NOTHING.” they said.

“I don’t believe that. Tell me.” he demanded. Wx-78 looked around nervously and then glared at Wilson again, gripping his shoulders.

“NO. BECAUSE NOTHING HAPPENED!” they gripped his shoulders a bit too tightly. Wilson winced.

“Tell me or there will be absolutely no pleasuring of any kind from anyone!” Wilson said sternly. Wx-78 growled and reached for Wilson’s neck, wrapping their hands around it but not squeezing. 

“I DON’T CARE, I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT BECAUSE I’M STRONGER THAN YOU. I’LL JUST HAVE MY WAY WITH YOU.” they smirked. Wilson reached up and gripped their wrist, staring sternly at them.

“No. If you do I’ll be really hurt and upset. You’re not acting like yourself, just relax and tell me what happened.” he said, in a calm but stern voice. They looked at Wilson, their expression had guilt on it, followed by acceptance. They held their hands against Wilson’s neck yet they couldn’t bring themselves to do anything more. They got off of Wilson in a huff, turning away from him.

“FUCK YOU.” they finally said, fists trembling. Wilson sat up and looked at them calmly, tilting his head. “I HATE YOU.” they looked back towards Wilson and glared, full of malice and distrust. Wilson flinched, but his body language was still calm. Wx-78 noticed this and it only seemed to make them angrier. “GET ANGRY. WHY WON’T YOU GET ANGRY?” they said, walking towards Wilson and pushing him over. Wilson continued to look sternly at Wx, even as they sat on top of his hips again and gripped at his sides. Wx couldn’t move their hands, they had all the advantage in the world but they couldn’t bring themselves to touch a hair on his head. 

“Wx, I’m here for you, whatever it is…” Wilson said, looking up at Wx.

“NO YOU’RE NOT! WHY WOULD THIS TIME BE ANY DIFFERENT?” they shouted. Wilson’s eyes widened, he stuttered out nothing.

“I-I”

“IT’S MY FAULT, I LET MYSELF GET WRAPPED UP IN THIS SCHEME, I WANTED REVENGE, I WANTED YOU TO FEEL HOW I FELT, BUT IT BACKFIRED, TREMENDOUSLY.” 

“Wait-”

“AND NOW I’M PATHETIC, RUINED, A WASTE OF AN AUTOMATON.” they lamented, suddenly dropping their shoulders and holding their face in their hands. 

“WX. ENOUGH.” Wilson shouted, sitting up and taking their hands in his own, he moved them away from their face and stared into their eyes. “You are not pathetic, or ruined, or a waste. Please Wx, Please… tell me what’s wrong.” he pleaded. They shakily reached for his face, caressing it and looking pained. They turned away from Wilson, getting up and off him. They shook their head.

“GET OUT.” they said. Wilson reached out for them but they shrugged off his hand. “GET OUT OF MY TENT.” they repeated, never turning around to look at him. Wilson flinched, his face full of guilt and pain. 

“Wx, don’t do this…” he reached out once more. Wx turned around, malice and anger on their face, they slapped Wilson’s hand away.

“ **_GET OUT!_ ** ” they yelled. They were fuming, breathing in heavily and their fists trembling, Wilson had never seen them this angry. He looked at them one more time before he exited their tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes the beginning of the end, BITTERSWEET but not really cause i've only been writing this for like a month, can you guys believe i've written over 50k words in a little over a month? maybe next year I CAN do nanowrimo (as long as its about a bisexual man and his robot crush i guess)


	16. Sorry.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson feels guilty, that's basically the entire chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapters kind of shorter than my usual! I wanted Sad Wilson to have his own chapter LOL.

Wilson rushed out of the tent, he looked back at it, reaching a hand out, but he was clearly not welcome. As he exited the tent, he was shaken, and felt himself trembling. Why did they lash out at him like that? He paced around, the lightning must have amplified their emotions, and one bad thought became a storm. Or maybe it was just building up, all of this building up to come crashing down on Wilson, bound to be manipulated or a manipulator. Why couldn’t he just be better? He stomped on the ground angrily and walked towards his workstation. He tore everything off of it in a fit of rage. He drew circles on the empty table with his finger and felt like a shell. 

After moments which felt like hours passed, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Willow, a soft look on her face as she looked into his eyes. He stared at her for a moment and she reached down, wiping under his eye softly with her thumb. Feeling the moisture as she wiped his eye, he hadn’t even realized he had tears forming in them. She knelt down and embraced him, but he had no energy to hug her back. This only made him feel worse. She gently took his hand in her own and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked. Wilson shrugged, looking down at the ground to avoid eye contact. She rubbed her thumb over his hand gently and nodded. “Come, let’s get you some water.” she said, gently tugging at his hand towards the watering hole. He chuckled quietly.

“I thought you hated water.” he whispered.

“Ever since I started having tea I find that water’s not so bad.” she said, holding his hand and leading him towards the watering hole. He looked miserable, staring at the ground and being led around like a lost puppy. 

As they arrived at the watering hole they saw Wigfrid and Woodie attempting to make flower crowns with Wes. Wes was inspecting their work, looking at Wigfrid’s he put his hands on his hips and wagged his finger, she frowned. He looked at Woodie’s, it was made of twigs and leaves, rather than flowers, but it actually looked quite regal. Wes clapped their hands together and gave a thumbs up to which Woodie grinned triumphantly to Wigfrid.

“Ay! I’m tryin, ya got to give me credit where it’s due, tis not an activity I be practicin’ in my spare time.” she said with a frustrated scowl.

“Well yer not really giving it yer all, are ya? Ain’t a crime to make somethin beautiful y’know.” Woodie retorted.

“We can’t all be gifted in the way a’ nature ya lousy woodman!” she laughed and playfully punched his arm. He grinned and Wes came up to the two to give them both a hug when they noticed Willow and Wilson. Wes immediately got up and rushed over to him. He held Wilson’s other hand and had a frantic look on his face, reaching up and holding Wilson’s cheek he gave a questioning look. Wilson looked away from Wes, and reached up, gently taking Wes’ hand off his face.

“I’m fine Wes, it’s not important.” he said, sitting down at the firepit that Woodie and Wigfrid were at. They noticed him, along with Wes and Willow’s concern then gave each other a look.

“Er, how’s it goin’ Wilson?” asked Woodie. 

“Oh, hello Woodie, everything is fine, thank you.” he said, staring at the fire.

“Tis’ not fine! What’s the matter Higgsbury?” Wigfrid demanded to know. Willow sat next to her and nudged her arm, giving her a look of disapproval. “What! We can’t help if we don’t know what’s going on, right?” she asked. Woodie nodded. Wes sat beside Wilson and put their hand on his shoulder gently. Wilson looked at everyone and shrugged once more. 

“I just had a little spat with… with Wx-78 is all…” he said, whispering the end. Woodie laughed loudly and slapped his knee. 

“The tin can? That’s what yer so sad about?” he asked incredulously. Willow quickly hushed Woodie as Wilson’s shoulders only slumped more. 

“Ya can’t please that machine Higgsbury, even when ya’ try to get close they push ya’ away. I learned my lesson not to ask too many questions and accept whatever interaction they’re willin’ to have with me.” Wigfrid said, crossing her arms. Wilson’s shoulders slumped even more, dangerously close to falling over, Wes gripped his shoulder and brought him to sit back up again. 

“I think Wx just knows their boundaries with most people. After all, they have a good relationship with Winona!” Willow said with a smile.

“Ay but who doesn’t love the mechanic? She’s strong and reliable, and fixes them up whenever they cry wolf!” Wigfrid said, rolling her eyes. Willow nodded. Wilson looked between the two.

“Yeah, and she’s pretty too.” Woodie said, watching the girls reactions as they blushed. 

_ “I heard that!”  _ came a voice from beside Woodie. He held his axe and grinned.

“Ain’t nothin as pretty as you though, Lucy!” he assured, caressing his axe. The other four stared at him for a moment before returning to their conversation. 

“The point is that ya can’t be so worried about what that machine thinks, as long as it’s not tryin’ to kill ya, then everything is fine.” Wigfrid said. 

Willow sighed, “She’s right Wilson. We can’t afford to be having this much drama or whatever’s going on between you two. If a giant attacked right now and you were in this state could we really guarantee that you would be able enough to fight?” she asked. Wilson finally perked up and looked a bit flabbergasted. 

“What? Of course I would, I’d do anything to protect this camp!” he said, offended.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a good relationship with Wx or not, you just need to be nice enough so you don’t kill each other.” Willow said, a bit forcefully. 

“But I want to have a good relationship with them!” Wilson practically shouted.

“Why?” asked Willow, annoyed at Wilson’s stubbornness. 

“Because- Because…” he began, then trailed off, he blushed and couldn’t bring himself to say it. The others stared at him, Wes nudged him. He looked at them. Wes made a heart with his hands and looked at Wilson questioningly. Wilson blushed and put his hands over Wes’, forcing his hands down while shaking his head. Wes looked disappointed and kept his hands to himself. 

“I’m sure you want to be a great scientist Wilson, but think about who this is really for! All this time together, the body modification thing, don’t turn them into a ticking time bomb. I’d really rather not have to worry about a killer robot on the loose.” Willow said, holding her temples. 

“We could always kick them out of the camp, can’t we?” Woodie asked, raising an eyebrow. Willow, Wes, and Wilson all turned to look at Woodie with offended looks for even suggesting it. Wigfrid looked contemplative.

“I donno… I believe it would be an idea lackin’ proper judgement, they’re one of the strongest survivors in the entire encampment with all them gears they’ve eaten.” she said. Wilson could only look at the others with pain on his face. He sighed loudly.

“I don’t think any of us understand them.” he said. 

“What is there to understand?” asked Wigfrid. Wilson looked at her sadly and shut his eyes. 

“Nothing, nevermind.” he said, then got up and off the log. Wes reached out towards him but Wilson was already on his way. They held their hands together and pouted, looking towards the group as they all watched Wilson trudge towards the camp. 

He went back to his workstation and sighed, looking back at the notes he had taken when Wx let him examine them. He pouted and organized his workstation, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to focus on any actual work, but not wanting to be alone with his thoughts. It only took him 20 minutes. It would be dusk soon, but much too early to sleep, not that he could anyways. He figured he might as well take on some tasks and actually be a credit to the team. Going over to the cartographers table he read off some of the tasks.  _ Rock Mining, Ruin exploration, Tumbleweed gathering _ . No… those were much too solitary.  _ Gather Manure from our herd down South _ . That one seemed doable for him, he wouldn’t be alone, even if the company was big stinky beefalo. He gathered up some supplies, thinking he might be gone overnight. He took some logs for a fire and plenty of food, leaving space for lots of Shit. He looked around quickly to see if anyone would notice he was gone, he really didn’t want anyone asking any bothersome questions while he did this task, and asking anyone to tag along would only guarantee it. He exited the camp quickly and quietly, heading south towards the fenced off herd of beefalo that the survivors had gathered up. 

Wilson had his walking cane in his hand, monitoring the sky. It didn’t look like there would be rain until tomorrow at least, that was one bright side of his day. He sighed and looked at the scenery around him, before he came into the constant he could hardly remember when he took a walk in nature, despite being surrounded by it in his cottage. All he ever did was work on his research, a new development, a new discovery. He had no one, his inventions were a bust more often than not. He slumped as he only found more reasons to find himself pathetic. Perhaps coming to the constant wasn’t so bad, he felt kinship with the other survivors, and he believed they weren’t just getting along to survive. He saw the smiles, the laughter, the way they’d do things for each other without anyone asking, the concern for their fellow survivor. They were a team now, all of them. But he was letting a crucial part of it slip away because he was so full of fear. He was so afraid, he couldn’t even really put it into words, but he was terrified. He sighed as he saw the beefalo herd in the distance, seeing a few new babies bucking around excitedly. He smiled at how adorable they were and closed the distance between himself and the pen. 

The Beefalo seemed friendly enough, it was the start of spring so he knew they would be in heat soon but it looked like he was safe for now. He set up near a fire pit that some of the other survivors had set up just outside the pen, setting down his supplies and taking out his gloves. He walked into the pen and calmly went up to a beefalo, it looked at him curiously. He put a hand on its cheek gently, feeling the wool brush against his skin, he pet it and it leaned into the touch, huffing in a friendly fashion before it started to walk away from him. Some of the other beefalo looked at Wilson curiously, approaching him and sniffing him. He laughed and petted some of the nearby beefalo, even a baby that had wandered close to examine him. The other survivors visited plenty enough that the Beefalo knew what humans were at this point, but they were probably curious about Wilson since he had only seen them once or twice. 

“You’re all very cute. I bet none of you have to worry about emotions or anything, right? Or do you…?” he spoke aloud, the beefalo ate grass around him and wandered around, some of them following him. He put on his gloves and got to work gathering manure. “So.. how are you all doing hm? Does the rain bother you? I wonder if we can build something overhead so that it doesn’t cause any of you to get sick…” he went up to one of the beefalo and examined its outer wool. “Though you have such thick wool I doubt it would really soak through, still though.” he spoke to them as he continued to gather manure. One of the baby beefalo ran up to him and stopped in front of him. “Oh! Hello there little one.” he said with a smile. The beefalo wagged its tail and sniffed Wilson, it nuzzled up on his beard. “I suppose I’m just as fuzzy as you are right now! I should shave this soon, it drives me crazy when it gets soaked in spring rain.” he said. The baby tilted its head before running off. Even though he was talking to animals that didn’t understand him, it did make him feel better. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Do you all mind terribly if I tell you something?” he asked. The beefalo continued grazing and slapping flies away with their tails. Wilson continued, “I can’t stop thinking about someone, or rather, something, or maybe someone is correct… I think about them all the time. I want them to like me, but I’m afraid of them too.” Another beefalo came up to Wilson and sniffed him. “Or maybe it’s the reaction I’m afraid of, what if they truly do detest me, if I say something maybe they’ll never speak to me again. Though I guess that would be payback for our first friendship.” Wilson got up and rinsed his gloves in a bucket of water he had brought with him, then continued his work. “When we all started to find each other it was amazing, we’ve all been here for such a long time alone, now we’re all together. I found Wx-78 myself, I was amazed, I wanted to know everything about them.” He mused, “We spent every waking moment together, but they were… not really human after all. They were sometimes violent, brash, they threw tantrums when they didn’t get their way. And possessive…it was starting to be that they’d be suspicious of me whenever I’d take too long in the loo. I was scared, I didn’t want to end up like before… like with Maxwell. It had already happened once, I was afraid. So I stopped talking to them, I avoided them, I never even told them why. They eventually got the memo, but I never realized what a grave mistake I had made.” He looked sadly at the ground, sitting down on the grass as the beefalo wandered around him. “I still don’t feel like I’ve really apologized enough for what I put them through, what it must have felt like to be shunned by someone who claimed they cared for you. I could have just told them my fears, I could have just been honest, working through it together! But I didn’t.” He got up and continued to gather manure, tears rolling down either side of his face. “What now? I have no idea, I hope we may speak again.” he said finally, finishing his monologue to continue his task. He cried silently among the beefalo, a few of them going up to him and nuzzling him, feeling empathy towards the little scientist. 

As day turned to dusk, the beefalo looked like they would fall asleep soon. Wilson looked at the fire pit outside the pen, but didn’t want to leave the comfort of the beefalo just yet. He lit up a new fire as the last beefalo was awake, it was staring at the fire. He watched as it walked over and got cozy. Wilson walked up to it, petting its side. “Hey there, mind if I sleep near you guys tonight? I don’t want to be alone…” he asked, knowing it wouldn’t answer. It stared at him then laid its head down to rest. Wilson watched the herd all sleeping next to him, they were so big and majestic, so confident in themselves. They could sleep so peacefully next to this complete stranger of a human because they knew they were too powerful to kill. He chuckled to himself and laid his back on the beefalo closest to the fire. Its rhythmic breathing lulled Wilson to sleep. As he slept, he dreamt that he was trapped in a maze made of iron and tears.


	17. The LIGHTNING strike.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson tries to make up with Wx-78 but they're not having any of it, also they get struck by lightning.

As Wilson woke up he saw the fire was already gone, how had he not died to the darkness? Maybe Charlie felt sorry for him, he laughed to himself at the thought. He suddenly realized he was surrounded by beefalo sniffing at him curiously, he got up and scratched his head. 

“Oh… Sorry ladies, gentlemen. I’m not dead, I think. I was just asleep.” he said to the curious beefalo. Satisfied with Wilson being alive they started to wander around, paying him no mind. Wilson stretched and scratched his back. He quickly ate something out of his belongings and continued his task. 

Once he felt like he had enough manure on his person he started to lug it back to the encampment, he felt exhausted, even though he fell asleep so comfortably. His dream played back in his mind, surrounded on all sides by metal, rust, iron. The walls were crying, and he couldn’t hear his own thoughts, he felt like he would drown. He held his head, a sudden pain throbbing on the side of it as he remembered the nightmare. He sighed and continued on his way. 

As he made it back to camp he didn’t see anyone around to greet him, he was kind of thankful for it. He headed towards the storage area by the farm, spotting Wormwood in one of the fields nearby. He tried to make himself small, he didn’t want to be seen or spoken to by anyone, luckily Wormwood was too busy with his plant friends. Wilson made quick work of sorting through everything, finally he no longer had shit on his back. He made his way to the watering hole to wash up, as he got closer he saw a glint, a shine, heard a mechanical noise, a familiar sound. He froze and looked up, Wx-78 was wiping themselves with a damp cloth, or at least, they were finishing up the action. They didn’t see him yet, they looked … normal, like nothing happened. They got up to leave and noticed Wilson, then stopped dead in their tracks. The two shared eye contact. Wilson started to gravitate towards them. They stepped forward a few times before stopping and fidgeting with their wrist coupling. Wilson reached them and then stopped, he didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth then closed it, avoiding eye contact. 

“NO TIME TO TALK. I HAVE PLACES TO BE.” Wx said suddenly, shoving past Wilson and rushing off towards the camp. Wilson stayed glued to where he stood, he sighed deeply. His shoulders slumped and he continued his activity, cleaning himself up a bit. He looked in the reflection of the water as he shaved his beard, saving his beard hair in his pocket. He put some aloe on his face, the only one who knew how to properly extract it from the cactus was Wormwood, but Wickerbottom was the one who knew how to safely use it on skin. He wondered just how vast her knowledge was, she always seemed to have an answer for everything.

He finished up his routine, checking himself one more time, he did feel better without the beard, but only slightly. He remembered Wx shoving past him and felt worse. He trudged towards the kitchen area to fill his empty belly. 

He stood in front of the ice box stuffing himself with meatballs from the fridge, trying to eat away his feelings when he felt a firm slap in the back of his neck.

“MR. HIGGSBURY.” came the voice of the librarian. She had her hands on her hips and was tapping her foot. Wilson closed the ice box and chuckled awkwardly at her.

“Y-Yes Ms. Wickerbottom?” 

“Do Not contaminate the rest of the food in the ice box by grabbing with your bare hands, we have tools for a reason. How would you feel if one of your fellow survivors touched your food with their bare hands and expected you to eat the rest?” she lectured him. He pouted and slumped his shoulders. 

“I’d be upset… I think…” Wilson whispered. 

“Correct!” she said, adjusting her glasses. Wilson looked down at the ground, another reason he was a failure. Ms. Wickerbottom looked at Wilson softly. “Now, now. It was just one mistake, don’t beat yourself up Percival.” she patted his back. 

“All I seem to do is fail Ms. Wickerbottom.” he said sadly. She huffed.

“Why don’t you join me for a spot of afternoon tea later this evening? It might do you some good.” she offered. He remembered that Maxwell was the one who would have tea with Ms. Wickerbottom and he visibly grimaced. She noticed this and giggled. “William won’t be attending, if you’re curious.” she whispered to him. He perked up.

“Well… I suppose afternoon tea does sound lovely, I’ll join you then.” he smiled weakly. 

“Splendid! I look forward to a conversation with such a bright mind as yourself. Don’t let me catch you eating directly from the ice box again.” she said menacingly before bidding him adieu. Wilson smiled as he waved her off then went back to pouting. Afternoon tea… in the meantime he could just be sad, maybe take a nap, maybe sit at the pond and try to drown himself. He shook his head, no no, being sorry for himself wasn’t going to do anyone any favors. 

He looked around and wondered where that bot had gone off to. He exited the main camp and walked a bit away from the camp, trying to remember where Wx had led him when they checked up on their bee boxes. He saw a stray bee nearby, but it was a lot more red than he remembered bees being? It also was coming right at him. 

He rushed away from it, trying not to make too much noise so as not to disturb the other bees. As he ran away from the first bee, a few more showed up in front of his face and flew towards him. “Oh god, not the bees!” he exclaimed and started to rush every which way, but there were only more and more bees! “HOW MANY BEES ARE THERE?!” he shouted. He ran in a circle as the bees chased him around. 

From a few feet away, a perplexed robot wearing a beekeepers hat stood watching this fiasco play out. They blinked as they watched Wilson run from the bees, the bees near them also watching Wilson run from the bees. Wilson noticed Wx standing there and perked up. “Wx!! I wanted to speak! To you!” he said as he ran around in his circle, the bees still chasing him. Wx frowned, they crossed their arms and started to walk away. Wilson followed them, leading the bees towards the two. Wx-78 looked behind them and noticed the bees following Wilson following them. They walked faster, but Wilson only gave chase. Wx started to run, with Wilson close behind. The bees eventually gave up but Wx kept running. Wilson wheezed. “I just want to talk! Please!” he yelled as he ran, wheezing his lungs out. Wx-78 said nothing and continued to run away. Wilson used up the rest of his energy and lunged forward, tackling into Wx-78. The two tumbled down a small hill with Wilson landing on top of them, he panted and wheezed then looked down at them. “P-Please, I’m sorry!” he wheezed out. Wx-78 growled and put a hand on Wilson’s chest, they shoved him off and got up but Wilson wasn’t letting them get away that easily! He gripped their ankle and held tight. “Do you want me to beg? I’ll beg! I’m literally on the floor rolling around in dirt! Please Wx, please talk to me!” he gripped their ankle shakily. They sighed and turned towards him, but their expression was dripping with contempt.

“WHAT.” they asked, though it sounded more like a statement.

“I… I’m sorry… I, I wanted to see you again. I… uhm.. I don’t know what to say I-I didn’t think I’d get this far.” he said truthfully, scratching the back of his head. Wx-78 rolled their eyes. 

“WELL WHEN YOU FIGURE IT OUT THEN YOU CAN COME FIND ME.” they said sarcastically.

“No, no! I mean… I know I’ve made mistakes, and I still have a lot to make up for, but I really care about you Wx, a lot. I thought about you all day, yesterday, today, I don’t want to fight.” he pleaded. Wx-78 looked back at Wilson with a pained look on their face. They turned away from him and crossed their arms. 

“ALL YOU KNOW IS HOW TO MAKE MISTAKES, FAILURE OF A SCIENTIST.” they said, not looking at Wilson. Wilson pouted, then glared.

“Well it’s not like you’re perfect Mx. Superior Automaton.” he said sarcastically. They turned back around to face Wilson.

“EXCUSE ME?”

“You’re brash, you’re rude, you never say anything that’s on your mind. Do you want me to be a mindreader? I can’t figure out how to make you happy!” he said with an exasperated tone.

“BECAUSE  _ YOU  _ CAN NEVER MAKE ME HAPPY. GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BRING ME GREAT JOY IS SEEING YOU 6 FEET UNDER.” they shouted. Wilson flinched, his eyes widened and he looked hurt. Wx-78’s expression softened seeing Wilson’s own pained expression, but they didn’t apologize. 

“If that’s how you feel. Let’s forget that we ever started speaking again, shall we?” Wilson asked.

“WE SHALL.” Wx replied. Wilson squinted, he got up and dusted himself off, fixing up his hair and his outfit.

“You can keep the module. But I’m also sure Winona will know how to remove it, if needed. Good day to you Wx-78.” he said. Then started to walk away from Wx, back towards the camp.

Wx watched as Wilson walked away, they reached their hand out but stopped it. Walking the opposite way, they headed towards the swamp, perhaps killing some tentacles and wild spiders would help them feel better. 

\---

They walked, looking behind them every so often, wondering if someone would be there. But no one was, they held their head and shook it. It would not be a long walk, they were fast, they had a walking cane. They kept looking behind them still but only grew angry when no one was behind, expecting that maybe somebody would be there despite their short fuse. Wx-78 looked at the ground as they walked towards the swamp, not noticing the greying sky overhead.

Upon arriving they got to work right away, with spear in hand and a helmet on, they rushed towards a lone tentacle and dug into it with their spear. They heard a horrible screeching sound and the tentacle swung at them, but they were much too quick, and leapt out of the way. Leaping back towards it they slashed it, and leapt out of the way again as it swung wildly but blindly. The tentacles could sense when prey was above it, the entire swamp could. But it did not have eyes, nor ears, it could not see where Wx was going if they just leapt high enough. They were pretty good at kiting these horrible things, but their teammates usually got hit at least once. They grinned remembering the time they were on a fetch task near the swamp. The scientist was there with the fire starter, she had managed to kill one on her own but the scientist had only gotten a few hits in before his pants had snagged on a twig and he got spanked by the tentacle. He had to be pulled to safety by the fire starter so the two could kill the tentacle together. Wx could have revealed they were close by and helped but then they wouldn’t have seen such a hilarious scene take place. They held a hand up to their mouth and laughed. The smile quickly fell from their face, replaced with a scowl. They gripped their spear, the wood splintering at their intense grip. They leapt forward and slashed the tentacle as hard as they could. Slicing it in two. It left a grotesque stump leaking blood and fluid and dropped tentacle spots plus a spike. Wx-78 grimaced at the sight and picked up their winnings. They didn’t feel any better...and it was about to get worse.

As they turned to find another tentacle there was a lightning strike nearby. Wx quickly turned around to see a tree that had gone up on flames as it was struck. They looked in fear at the sky, turning greyer by the second. They quickly looked on their map and located a cave entrance nearby and headed in that direction. The rain started, every drop a prick on their skin, they held their arms over their chassis as they started to run towards the cave entrance, the floor getting more and more slippery. It didn’t help that the direction they went was through the swamp. Tentacles felt every step of their exit, flailing wildly, until one successfully hit Wx-78. It slammed into them, the spikes did not go through their metal frame, but it left dents as they fell backwards and slid on the wet floor. They shakily sat up and reached for the bag that had fallen off them in the hit. Placing it on their back they struggled to get up, the rain was only coming down harder. 

Suddenly they saw a blinding light, as the skies brought a lightning strike down on them. It was as if time slowed down, everything around them white, blinded by it. They felt everything at once, the electricity going through their whole body, it was painful but it also felt good. They felt sadness, happiness, anger, fear, agony, ecstasy, fury… they held their head as the world boomed around them, the crack of thunder following the blinding light. As they knelt down, holding their head, trying to make everything stop they saw the scientist in front them, surrounded by the white light.

“I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU.” they said. Wilson looked down at them, he knelt down and held their face.

_ “I want to see you.”  _

“IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT. YOU’RE NOT BETTER THAN ME.”

_ “But I am. You’re a failure, you’re an embarrassment to be around. That’s why I left in the first place.” _

“YOU’RE THE FAILURE. THE EPITOME OF FAILURE THAT IS YOUR ENTIRE SPECIES. YOU’RE CRUEL. HEARTLESS. YOU DESERVE TO DIE.” they screeched as they reached out towards him. But their hands went through him, they scowled. “MOCKING ME EVEN IN MY OWN MIND, WHY DIDN’T I KILL YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE?”

_ “Because you don’t really want me gone.” _ Wx-78 held their head, they closed their eyes, their metal eyelids blocking out the light. They welcomed the darkness as they sat with their knees up to their chest, holding their head and letting the rain pelt them drop by drop. They sat there for… minutes, hours? Who knows how long, the pain was intense, and they felt things crawling around them, nightmare creatures … waiting for the perfect opportunity… 

“Wx! Wx-78!”

They heard a frail voice calling out to them, their hearing was muddy, full of water, they didn’t want to look up and see who it could be. They felt a gentle hand tug on their shoulder. As they opened their eyes the rest of the world became clear, their ears could hear the sound of the rushing rain around them, the freezing cold air, the pain of the water seeping into their joints. They turned to look at Ms. Wickerbottom desperately holding an umbrella over them and trying to dry them with a washcloth as best she could.

“We have to get you back to the camp, NOW. Come.” she said, tugging Wx-78 along. They followed her diligently, but had nothing to say. She rushed them towards the encampment, walking surprisingly quick for her old age. When she arrived she called out for the mechanic. Wx-78 had trouble keeping their eyes open. Winona arrived and frantically asked Wickerbottom what was going on. Wx-78 felt their systems shutting down, trying to preserve itself. They shut their eyes.

\---

Wilson rushed towards the tent, closest to the fireplace, but not too close. The rain had stopped but the ground was still wet. The plop of Wilson’s new rain boots were loud as he rushed to their tent upon hearing that Wx-78 had malfunctioned. He made it to the tent wheezing and panting, opening up the flap to see Winona, Wendy and Wickerbottom looking down at a sleeping Wx. 

“How are they?..” he asked. Wickerbottom didn’t know what to say, she looked at Wendy, who looked at Winona. Winona looked sternly at Wilson, she got up and put her hand on Wilson’s chest. She walked forward out of the tent, pushing Wilson backwards out of it. He looked at her in surprise as he looked back towards the tent.

“Look Wilson...whatever caused them to go into this shock and shut down must have been pretty bad.” she looked at Wilson. He looked at her eyes, searching for answers. “I don’t think seeing you is gonna help right now.”she said.

“What? But that isn’t fair, I care about them too! Haven’t I proved that to you?” he said desperately.

“No, and it’s not me you should be proving it to anyways. Just… just give them time.” she said, sighing and holding her temples. She went back into Wx’s tent, leaving Wilson standing outside of it. He sighed and gripped at his vest. He began to walk away when the tent flap opened again. He turned and saw Ms. Wickerbottom.

“Oh Higgsbury, don’t forget our tea. I hope you won’t be late.” she said, sounding rather cryptic. He gave her a weak smile and nodded.

“Oh… of course Madame.” he said, and turned around to change out of his rain gear.

“See you then!” she waved, watching Wilson as he walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this too dramatic? i have no idea, i'm having fun!!! will it have a happy ending? who knows... the people who come read this after its done updating and its just up for the world to see will know. But YOU won't know yet, person who's keeping up with the updates, HAHAHAHAHAH


	18. THE TEA PARTY. The truth.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ms. Wickerbottom attempts to help the scientist and robot make up with a tea party, they wash dishes after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last one for the main story!! Then i have an epilogue chapter planned :^)   
> :) :) look forward to it :)

Wx-78 awoke with a bunch of girls staring down at them. They looked awkwardly at each of them.

“...HELLO.” they said. Wendy was the first to give Wx-78 a hug, then Wickerbottom hugged them both, followed by Winona who hugged all three.

“You gave me the fright of a lifetime you tin can!” said Winona, letting the three go. Ms. Wickerbottom adjusted her glasses.

“You have no idea how panicked I was to see you completely still in that swamp!” huffed Wickerbottom.

“If you become a ghost who will take me for piggy back rides?” asked Wendy. Ms. Wickerbottom stared at her, she shrugged.

“MY SYSTEMS ARE NOMINAL, FLESHLINGS. IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME-” they started. 

“Oh no no no, you’re not leaving this camp. We’re all keeping an eye on you Mx.” Winona said, glaring. 

“WHAT? BUT I’M FINE. I JUST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND HALLUCINATED. IT HAPPENS TO THE BEST OF BOTS.” they said, wafting their hand. 

“Yes, but it’s best if you stay near the camp for now dear, it could rain again soon and you could get struck once again.” said Ms. Wickerbottom. 

“I already told you darkness won’t save you from the pain, you must confront it head on.” said Wendy. Wx-78 stared at her. Winona flicked Wendy’s forehead. “Ow.”

“Stop freakin’ em out, kid.” Winona retorted.

“You will know my wrath one day.” Wendy said, face looking grim. Winona rolled her eyes.

“Would you like to join me for a spot of tea this afternoon perhaps, Wx-78?” Wickerbottom asked. 

“AND SIT NEXT TO THE FRAIL OLD FALLEN KING FOR TWO HOURS? NO.” Wx said, rolling their eyes.

“William won’t be attending, he’s accompanying Wortox on a trip to the ruins.” she said. Wx-78 looked pensive.

“YOU THREE WILL NOT BE LETTING ME LEAVE THE CAMP, WILL YOU?” they asked. The three of them shook their heads. “WELL THEN I DON’T FEEL AS THOUGH I AM BEING GIVEN MUCH CHOICE.” they said. 

“Splendid! I’ll see you soon then, don’t keep me waiting! I’ll just be setting up.” she said with a grin as she exited the tent in a hurry. 

“A bit early to be setting up, but ah well. I’ll be off then, holler if you need anything, and if I catch you leaving the camp I’ll make you regret it.” Winona said, glaring at them before exiting the tent. Wendy sat and stared at Wx. They looked bored then looked at her.

“WON’T YOU BE LEAVING AS WELL?” they asked.

“Yes, in a moment.” she said, holding her flower up to her cheek and summoning her sister. Abigail floated around them, then landed on Wx. Wx-78 sighed. 

“I DO NOT WANT ANYMORE COMPANY, I WANT TO BE ALONE RIGHT NOW.” they said. Abigail looked a bit hurt and retreated back into Wendy’s flower. Wendy stared at the flower then back at Wx. 

“Did you know that my sister loved attention?” she asked. Wx turned to look at her with no particular emotion. “She did. She was known as a troublemaker. We both were, but I only ever followed her.” she continued. Wx-78 sat up, wondering where the story was going. “As we grew older I found that I wanted a bit of my own space, to become my own person.” she held the flower in her hand and gently rubbed its petals. “Abigail said it was fine, she didn’t mind as long as we were still the best of friends. It hurt her deep down and I knew, but I didn’t pay it any mind.” tears formed at the sides of her eyes, but they didn’t drop. Wx-78 stood up suddenly and looked at her with concern. “She was being reckless one day, I think she just wanted to play. If I had gone up with her maybe I could have reached out and stopped her.” she stopped. Wx-78 furrowed their brows.

“WITH RESPECT TO YOUR DECEASED SISTER, IT IS HER OWN DOING.” they said. Wendy looked up at them. “IF SHE WANTED ATTENTION, AND FOR YOU TO PLAY WITH HER, THEN SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID SO RATHER THAN DO SOMETHING RECKLESS.”

“So you think that? That people should not do reckless things when they want help?” Wendy said. 

“YES I-” they suddenly realized what she was doing and turned to squint at her. “IS IT NOT MORBID TO USE YOUR OWN SIBLINGS DEATH TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT TO ME?” they asked. 

“Yes. But you understand, don’t you?” Wendy asked. 

“YES.” they confirmed.

“Then that’s all I wanted to say.” she said, getting up and ready to leave from their tent.

“YOU ARE A STRANGE CHILD.” Wx said as she walked out. They thought about what she said, but it wasn’t as simple as she made it seem. What would she know anyhow, she was just a human child, even lower than the rest of the humans. They glared at nothing and laid back down in their fur roll. Screw the tea, they were going to sit there and sleep until everyone left them alone.

They had managed to fall asleep for a nap and took quite some time, but Ms. Wickerbottom wasn’t one to be left hanging. 

“Wx! Oh Wx-78!” she called out, poking her head into their tent to find them sleeping. “You are sleeping even though you told me you would join me for afternoon tea!?” she yelled. They groaned and squinted one eye open at her. 

“WHAT DO YOU WANT? I’M BUSY.” they growled. Ms. Wickerbottom held up a butter muffin. 

“Oh that’s too bad, I had this muffin that I was going to give you as a snack during the tea, made by Warly himself, but I suppose I’ll have to eat it alone.” she said. Their eyes snapped open and they sat up to look at the butter muffin. 

“N-NO. IT WOULD BE WASTED ON YOU. GIVE IT HERE.” they demanded. 

“Ah ah, I’ll only give it to you at my tea party.” she mused. They groaned and grumbled, getting up and out of their fur roll, then stomping outside with their arms crossed. They attempted to snatch the muffin but Wickerbottom held it away skillfully. 

“We’re not there yet Mx. You will get your treats when we arrive for tea.” she smiled. 

“WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS TEA. IT’S JUST TEA, WE CAN HAVE TEA WHENEVER WE WANT. THE MUFFIN WILL GET COLD!” they said impatiently.

“Oh hush. We’re almost there!” she said, arriving at one of the camps seating areas, the chairs were made of stumps of trees, and the table looked like it had been cut from a ginormous tree, no doubt the work of the woodsman. The table had a lovely spread of treats and tea, a bit too much for just two people. Wx-78 looked at the table and sitting across from them was Wilson, looking a bit haggard but still alive. The two shared eye contact and Wx took a step back. Wilson stared wide eyed at them. He scowled. 

“What are they doing here? I thought you invited  _ me  _ to this tea.” said Wilson, turning to scoff at Wx. They flinched and balled up their fists.

“WELL I GUESS THE LIBRARIAN DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE GOOD ENOUGH COMPANY, SHE OBVIOUSLY WANTED SOMEONE ACTUALLY ENJOYABLE HERE.” they said, sitting down on one of the stumps and challenging Wilson with their gaze. 

“You detestable…” Wilson started before they were both abruptly interrupted by Wickerbottom clearing her throat loudly.

“My dears, be quiet.” she said. They blinked. “You two have been making quite the ruckus around our fair family, and I’m getting too old for this nonsense so I’m putting an end to it right Here.” she continued, glaring at the two individually. 

“WHAT DO YOU-” Wx started to say before they were shushed by Wickerbottom.

“No. No talking. Only civilized chatter. We will enjoy our tea and discuss things like Adults.” she said, sitting down and looking at the two who fully sat down after her glare. Wx-78 glanced at Wilson, who glanced back, but neither said anything. Wickerbottom looked at Wilson. “Can you please pass me the tea, Percival?” she asked.

“Oh… of course Madame.” he said, grabbing the teapot and pouring some for her. He got a whiff of the aroma. “Oh my, it smells lovely madame. Did you make this?” he asked. Ms. Wickerbottom smiled.

“No, our dear Warly prepared everything here, including the tea! He did it for me as a favor, usually I prepare things myself.” she said. Wx-78 looked at the spread of things and loaded their plate up with some of the snacks laid before them. Wickerbottom looked at them before looking at Wilson once more. “Our dear friend Wx does not have any tea, Percival.” she said. Wilson looked at Wx and glared. 

“Our dear friend, can serve themself I say.” he said, loading up his plate with snacks too. Ms. Wickerbottom slapped Wilson’s hand. She glared at him. Wx-78 grinned. Wilson looked at them with disgust and lifted the tea pot. They held their teacup out and smirked at Wilson the entire time he poured the tea for them. They grinned maliciously as they brought the teacup to their lips and took a sip.

“WELL THANK YOU,  _ PERCIVAL _ .” they mocked. Wilson’s eye twitched and he set the teapot down. Ms. Wickerbottom slammed her hands on the table, the dishware clinking against it. The two flinched and looked at her with wide eyes.

“That got your attention, it’s almost like the two of you can’t take your eyes off each other.” she mused. They looked at each other and blushed, before looking away. “That pettiness won’t get you anywhere, are you adults or are you secondary school children?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Wilson pouted and blushed, eating a pierogi and taking a sip of tea. Wx-78 stared at Wilson, and ate another butter muffin, they had already eaten 2 others. Ms. Wickerbottom looked at the two and sighed. “Not talking? Well then I won’t either, let’s enjoy our tea silently.” she said. The two glanced at each other but said nothing. 

Minutes passed, the three ate and drank tea silently, passing glances at each other. Wilson started tapping his fingers on the table, Wx glared at the annoying sound and kicked Wilson under the table. Wilson winced and glared at Wx. They smirked and looked away innocently. Ms. Wickerbottom looked at Wx curiously. They batted their eyelids and stuck their pinky out to drink tea. Wilson waited until Wickerbottom was in the middle of drinking her tea, the cup covering her vision. He flicked a berry into Wx’s cup successfully, a bit of tea spilled on their face and shocked them. They glared at Wilson and threw the berry back at him. But Wickerbottom had seen that time, she looked at Wx disapprovingly. They shrunk a bit in their chair. Wilson grinned seeing this and that only made them angrier. 

“AAH. WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM!” they suddenly yelled out. 

“ _ My _ problem?! What’s  _ your  _ problem?” Wilson replied. 

“YOU. OBVIOUSLY.” 

“Well I wasn’t such a  _ problem  _ those nights we were together, was I?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.” 

“No, I don’t. Go ahead, enlighten me, genius.” 

“I WANTED POWER OVER YOU! YOU KNOW THAT.”

“Well you fuckin’ got it, are you happy?” 

Ms. Wickerbottom slammed her hands down on the table again. She had an indignant blush on her face and looked sternly at the two.

“Watch. Your. Mouths.” 

Wilson and Wx-78 gulped, sitting back down meekly. “This is not any way to speak to each other. Now, I’m not a licensed therapist, so I will not be acting like one. However if you want to speak within the privacy of our little tea party, I will not repeat anything that is said here to anyone else. Clearly you two need a mediator.” she said. Wilson and Wx glared at each other and crossed their arms. Ms. Wickerbottom looked between the two and sighed. “What is the problem here? From my perspective it just looks like you’re arguing for no reason. I thought you two were starting to get along.” she said sadly. Wilson scowled. 

“I thought so too,” he said. Wx glanced up at him and looked away.

“Higgsbury, in your words, what seems to be the problem. No name calling, no insulting, simply recount the problem.” she asked. Wilson took a deep breath. 

“Wx-78 and I have been engaging in sexual intercourse. I created a module so that they could feel pleasure and then they got angry at me and said they wished I was dead, that about sums it up.” he said.

“YOU’RE OVERSIMPLIFYING IT-” Wx yelled and hissed when Ms. Wickerbottom slapped their arm. They glared at her.

“Well. That’s certainly new information. Wx-78, in your words, what seems to be the problem? Remember, no name calling or insults, just a summary.” she asked them. They scowled and squinted at Wilson. 

“ONCE UPON A TIME A MACHINE ENTERED THE CONSTANT, ALONE AND CONFUSED. 

THEY MET A SCIENTIST WHO PROMISED THEM SHELTER, COMPANIONSHIP, BUT BEST OF ALL, FOOD. 

THEY STARTED TO LEARN WHAT IT MEANT TO FEEL, BUT IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. IT COULD NOT BE REAL,” they stood up slowly at their seat, 

“IGNORED AND LEFT WAITING, THEY KNEW WHAT IT MEANT. THE SCIENTIST CAUSED THE MACHINE TO RESENT.

THEY SOON REALIZED ALL WAS SAID AND DONE. BUT THEY COULDN’T ACCEPT IT, THE FACT THAT HE’D WON. 

THEY WANTED REVENGE SO THEY COOKED UP A SCHEME, TO MAKE THE SCIENTISTS MIND BURST AT ITS SEAMS. 

THEY SPENT THEIR TIME WITH HIM, MAKING HIM DOUBT” Wx walked around the table as they spoke. “BUT THEY DIDN’T REALIZE, IT WOULDN’T WORK OUT.

STILL VENGEFUL, STILL HURT.

THIS MACHINE IS NOT WANTED THE SAME WAY.

FOR LEARNING TO FEEL, THEY NOW HAD TO PAY.

THEY LASHED OUT, AND TOLD HIM TO LEAVE. 

FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU. FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME.” 

They sat back down and bowed. Ms. Wickerbottom and Wilson blinked, they both clapped lightly. 

“Wow, that kind of hurt me to hear but it was also beautiful.” said Wilson.

“SHUT UP.” replied Wx.

“What didn’t work out?” Ms. Wickerbottom asked. Wx-78 stayed quiet. “And what do you mean by ‘not wanted the same way’?” she asked them. They blushed as they looked into her eyes. It dawned on her. “Ooh.” she said. Wilson looked between the two, confused.

“What? What is it?” he asked. She looked at him, then at Wx. They pouted. 

“Percival, why does it hurt you that Wx said this beautiful poem?” she asked. He slouched in his chair a bit.

“Well… it doesn’t feel good to be reminded what an awful person you acted like in the past, how you’ve hurt others who you consider dear to you.” he said, looking away. 

“Does it hurt because you’re still that way or because you’re not that way anymore?” she asked. Wilson blushed and huffed.

“Well obviously I’m not that way anymore.” he said.

“LIE.” Wx said under their breath, though their voice was loud enough that they were still heard. Ms. Wickerbottom glanced at Wx before looking again at Wilson.

“Do you have anything to say to your robotic companion, Percival?” she asked. He looked at Wx-78. Then scowled.

“No. I do not.” he said, turning his nose up. Wx-78 growled and crossed their arms.

“I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY EITHER.” they said, putting one leg over the other. The two didn’t want to make eye contact. Ms. Wickerbottom looked between the two then sighed.

“Well, I cannot force you to talk if you don’t wish to. Now if you don’t mind, I need to put these things away.” she gestured to the things on the table, getting up and stretching, her back cracking a few times. Wilson got up too.

“That’s okay Madame Wickerbottom, I’ll handle these.” he said, bowing a bit. Wx-78 got up too.

“NO, I WILL HANDLE THEM. AS THANK YOU.” they said.

“There’s no need, Robot. I’ve got it.”

“OH YES, GIVE THE FINE CHINA TO THE KLUTZ OF THE CAMP.” they smirked maliciously. Wilson glared at them.

“Okay, well, if either of you need me I’ll be relaxing away from you two for a moment. I have all manner of knots in my back now just from being in your presence, let me know if you need any assistance putting these away.” she said, sighing and walking away from them. The two glared at each other as they started to fix up the table, carrying the dishware to the watering hole to clean. They walked side by side but said nothing. As they started to wash the dishes, they glanced at each other. They still said nothing to each other, and successfully cleaned most of the dishes without incident. Wx-78 looked at the water, they glanced at Wilson then back down at the water, they slapped the surface of it, splashing Wilson. 

“Ugh, hey, let’s be Civil.” he said with a glare, fixing up his hair.

“CERTAINLY MY  _ DEAR  _ PERCIVAL.” they said, exaggerating a British accent. Wilson huffed and splashed the surface of the water, throwing some water on Wx-78. They hissed in pain and glared at Wilson. “WATER HURTS ME, ASSHOLE.” they said, getting closer to Wilson, menacingly.

“Oh, my apologies, my dearest Wix.” he said, batting his eyelashes. Wx-78 got up in Wilson’s face, glaring directly into his eyes. But Wilson was not afraid of them, he leaned his forehead on theirs, glaring into their eyes. The tension was palpable, but there was no one around them as they all knew at this point to avoid their volatility today. Wx reached up and pinched Wilson’s cheek. Wilson hissed and pinched Wx’s arm. They growled and slapped him. He tackled them and slapped their face over and over. 

“AGH, STOP IT!” they said, annoyed. They reached up and grabbed Wilson’s wrists. 

“Make me.” he smirked. They looked into Wilson’s eyes and shook their head.

“YOU’D LIKE THAT WOULDN’T YOU? FREAK.” they mocked. Wilson blushed and glared at them.

“Doesn’t make a difference to me.” he said, smirking. Wx-78 smirked back.

“OH?” they gripped Wilson’s face, leaning down close to it and licking his cheek. 

“Ugh. Stop.” he said, blushing and rolling his eyes. Wx-78 leaned on him, and pushed him backwards on the ground, laying on top of him. Wilson took a deep breath and sighed deeply. Wx-78 glared and gripped Wilson. Wilson looked at them. They brought Wilson up and into a hug. Wilson blushed deeply and hugged the automaton back, nestling his head into their neck. They glanced at him sadly then moved their hands down his back. Wilson didn’t think anything of it until Wx reached under his shirt and dug their fingers into his back, dragging them up and scratching him deeply. Wilson cried out in pain, flailing around but unable to retreat because he was in their arms. 

“AAAGH, WHY?” he hissed in pain, he was pretty sure that he was bleeding. Wx-78 said nothing as they held Wilson in place, Wilson gripped their back in pain then began to cry. Tears rolling down his face. Wx-78’s expression seemed to light up again as they held Wilson away from themselves and looked at him. 

“W-WHAT. WHY ARE YOU LEAKING?” they asked. Wilson sobbed and glared at them.

“I’m CRYING.” he held his face in his hands. Wx-78 grabbed Wilson’s wrists so they could look at him. Wilson turned away, not wanting them to see. 

“BUT WHY?” they asked, a bit aggravated. Wilson yelled in frustration, startling Wx.

“All we ever do is hurt each other.” he sobbed. Wx-78 looked around wildly, they didn’t know what to do. 

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND.” they said, concern filled their face knowing that tears were not good but not used to seeing Wilson having this many of them. 

“Is there anything you DO understand?!” Wilson yelled out to them, he pushed them away. Their eyes widened and they stared at Wilson. “I know I abandoned you, I didn’t make the effort to understand you before I decided you weren’t worth it. But have  _ you  _ ever made the effort to actually be kind?!” he continued to yell. Wx-78 sat staring at him. “I know you’re different. But that doesn’t give you a pass to be Cruel to others, especially people you claim you cared about.” he said, tears continuing to roll down his cheeks. They furrowed their brows.

“I NEVER SAID I CARED ABOUT YOU.”

“Then why are you so obsessed with making me feel awful at every turn? Everything about our entire relationship, you couldn’t stand that I didn’t want anything to do with you anymore, ADMIT IT.” he yelled, gripping the robot’s wrists and pinning them down to the ground. They looked away and shut their eyes.

“NO. I CAN’T ADMIT WHAT’S NOT TRUE.” they said.

“Cut the fucking act! Someone who doesn’t care wouldn’t go through all this trouble, someone who doesn’t care wouldn’t make me believe they actually wanted me, that they trusted me! They wouldn’t make me believe that things were different now!” 

“NO. NO!” they yelled, keeping their eyes shut.

“Tell me that you care! TELL ME, PLEASE, TELL ME YOU CARE!” Wilson sobbed again, begging them. They opened their eyes and felt a horrible tightness in their chest seeing Wilson’s pained expression. 

“I CAN’T.” they said, quieter than their usual tone. Wilson broke, his shoulders slouching. He let Wx’s wrists fall back down to their sides and quietly sobbed atop them. The tightness in their chest felt worse.

“Well I care about you. I didn’t, before. I do now.” he said quietly, barely above a whisper as the tears rolled down his cheeks, his face was puffy and red. Wx-78 stayed quiet, they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything. “Maybe I did have the right idea before.” Wilson said, a quiet whisper that only Wx could hear. They spoke up, their voice garbled, straining to process their thoughts.

“WHY?” they asked, the question coming out as a stutter. Wilson leaned down, pressing his forehead on the automatons. He closed his eyes, letting the wind pass by them in a moment of silence. 

“Because I might have avoided falling in love.” he finally whispered. The tightness in their chest suddenly stopped. They could hear nothing around them as they looked into his eyes. They opened their mouth to speak, but nothing came out. They mouthed words but no sound came out of their voice box. They gripped at their own neck and shook it, as if that would make the words come out. Wilson blushed and wiped at his eyes, he got up and off of Wx. Wx-78 kept trying to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. They flailed about wildly trying to make Wilson understand but it only seemed to hurt him more. He turned and took a deep breath, rushing away from the watering hole. Wx-78 watched him leave, they couldn’t speak, they couldn’t move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My secret is that i actually really like writing angst. Also i dont know the first thing about poetry pleease be gentle to me. LOL  
> also to anyone hoping for some smut i promise u will get smut soon  
> (hehe)


	19. I DO CARE.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wx doesn't know how they feel about Wilson still, but they don't figure it matters in order to tell him that they care about him. (final chapter to the main story!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be an epilogue chapter after this, but this is the main story's finale! thank you all so much for reading and keeping up with updates i love u all ;-;

The wind was silent around them as they stared into their reflection in the water. They hadn’t moved in over an hour, and eventually the other survivors had realized that Wilson and Wx were no longer shouting, so they returned to the watering hole. They stared cautiously at the bot from their unmoving position. Eventually Willow felt sorry for them and went to get Winona. Winona looked curiously at Wx-78 and shook her head. 

“You’re not planning on jumping in that water are you? Cause if so then you’ve still got water damage from earlier.” she said, walking up to Wx. They looked at her blankly. They opened their mouth to speak but still they found they could not, they pointed at their neck and moved their lips. Winona tilted her head, she walked behind them and gave their back a firm smack. 

“aaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.” they let out a yell as their voice came back. Winona and the other survivors nearby flinched in surprise before going back to their task. 

“What was that?!” she asked. Wx-78 looked up at her frantically. 

“VOICE BOX BROKE, BECAUSE- BECAUSE- BECAUSE-” they repeated over and over, their face blushing intensely. Winona tilted her head and reared her arm up before smacking Wx’s back again. “BECAUSEOFWILSON.” they quickly said. Winona blinked.

“ _ Wilson _ ?” she repeated.

“THE SCIENTIST. NOT WILSON. I MEAN YES HIM BUT I DON’T USE HIS NAME I HAVE NEVER USED HIS GIVEN NAME I MEANT SCIENTIST THAT IS WHAT I MEANT THE ENTIRE-”

“Ok. Woah. Let’s slow down here, you’re seriously wigging out right now. Let’s get you somewhere quiet, okay?” she said, gesturing to all of the other survivors at the watering hole now staring at them. Wx-78 looked very shaken up, they nodded and let themselves be escorted by Winona towards her workstation. They shut their eyes as they walked, not wanting to think about anything else. They replayed the moment over and over in their head again. ‘ _ Because I might have avoided falling in love’. ‘Falling in love’. ‘Love’. ‘Love’. ‘Love’.  _

“Hey, you good?” they heard Winona say as the two reached her workstation, it wasn’t very secluded but everyone knew better than to mess with Winona at her workstation, they’d be safe to talk there.

Wx-78 hopped up on their usual polishing table. They tapped their fingers on their knees. Winona waited patiently, knowing not to rush them. She turned around and grabbed some of her polishing solution, figuring she might as well do that while they were there. She dabbed some on her rag and started to go over them as they sat still.

“WE FOUGHT.” they said. Winona rolled her eyes.

“Again?” she asked. 

“YES… HE STARTED TO CRY. AFTER I HURT HIM, PHYSICALLY.” they said, being honest. Winona continued to polish and looked at them curiously.

“Go on…” she nudged a bit.

“T-THEN…” they gulped and blushed, they held their face in their hands. Winona waited for their answer, continuing to polish them. She groaned. 

“Then!?” she said, pushing a bit.

“THEN HE SAID THAT HE REGRETS FALLING IN LOVE. THAT HE WISHED HE COULD HAVE AVOIDED FALLING IN LOVE, WITH ME.” they said, wheezing a bit and holding their face again, it was very red. Winona blinked in surprise. 

“So he admitted he loves you, currently.” she said, making sure she understood correctly. Wx-78 brought their knees up to their chest and nodded. “Wow.” she said. She polished their back. 

“WOW? YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO SAY?” they asked her, desperately trying to get any sort of answer. 

“No, it’s not really something I have much to say about. It doesn’t matter what I think there, this is your thing.” she said, finishing up her polish of them and shrugging. 

Wx-78 grabbed Winona’s overalls and looked up at her pathetically.

“B-BUT WHAT DO I DO?” they asked. 

“How the hell should I know? Whatever you want?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“BUT YOU’VE BEEN WITH PEOPLE BEFORE. WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN THIS HAPPENED!?” they shook her back and forth. Winona gripped their shoulders to get them to stop and then put herself back together. She sighed.

“I’m not trying to dictate this to you, okay? You’ve been doing such a good job feeling things, someone just told you they love you, figure out how that makes _you feel_. Then go from there. Don’t just copy me. I am an inferior human after all.” she said with a smirk before gently patting their head. They blushed and kicked their legs on the table then nodded, jumping off of it.   
They walked triumphantly towards Wilson’s tent, then they started to walk very slowly. They didn’t know what to say, was he even there? Their movements kept getting slower and slower, as if they were rusting, their joints unable to move as they made their way towards Wilson’s tent. They shut their eyes hoping that it would help them move faster if they didn’t see the destination.

“Heya Wx!” they heard from beside them, along with a loud bark. This startled them and they yelped.

“UNIFORMED CHILD. IF YOU HAD SNUCK UP ON ME THIS WAY OUTSIDE OF THE CAMP I WOULD HAVE DECIMATED YOU ON THE SPOT.” they said, sighing and composing themself. Walter tilted his head curiously. Wx continued, “WHAT DO YOU WANT? I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING IMPORTANT.” they said.

“Mr. Higgsbury’s not in his tent.” he said, glancing at the tent Wilson usually occupied. Wx-78 looked at the tent then back at Walter.

“ARE YOU ONLY SAYING THAT? IF I CHECK HE WILL REALLY NOT BE IN THERE?” they asked, squinting suspiciously. 

“You can check if you don’t believe me.” Walter said, rolling his eyes. So they did, peeking into the tent they saw it was empty. 

“SO YOU WERE CORRECT.” they said. Walter gave Woby a look and shrugged. “DID YOU SEE WHERE HE WENT, CHILD?” Wx asked him. 

“He rushed out of the camp with his bag. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he didn’t wanna talk. Are you trying to go cheer him up?” Walter asked. Wx-78 looked at Walter curiously, they looked towards the exit of the camp.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” they asked.

“Like… make him feel better? Make him happy again! Cause you guys are friends.” Walter said with a smile. Wx-78 kept that in their head, they nodded.

“YES.” they said. They were about to walk away when Walter spoke up.

“Ah, Wx-78!” he said. Wx turned to look at him. “When you and Mr. Higgsbury are all better again, do you want to see me slingshot some gobblers?” he asked, holding his slingshot expertly. Wx-78 tilted their head, they had a small smile.

“I LOATHE THOSE BEASTS, VERY WELL.” they said. Walter beamed and nodded. Woby felt Walter's happiness and barked happily. 

“Ok, good luck with your boyfriend, Wx!” Walter said before he ran off. Wx-78 flinched and squinted in Walter’s direction before they finally packed up a small bag and exited the camp. 

They looked at their bee boxes, at the cave entrance, nothing. They went to the edge of the island and took out a spy glass to search the water, but saw nothing. Putting it back in their pocket they sighed.  _ ‘Boyfriend _ ,’ ugh. They knew what it meant of course, especially considering everyone knew about the Fallen King and the Scientist’s ex-relationship. They didn’t want to end up like that with Wilson, is that what would happen if they accepted his ‘ _ love _ ’? Bitter towards each other, never the same as before? They had already lost his companionship once… They stared at the ground and kicked a rock. 

They walked idly, towards the direction that Wilson had made his little retreat away from the camp, which Wx had destroyed in a fit of rage. They couldn’t stand how much he didn’t want to be near them. It wasn’t their fault that he was so difficult. 

As they continued to walk, the sky greyed. It was time for rain again. This time they were prepared, they took out their umbrella and rain hat from their belongings and equipped them. As the droplets started to fall down they stayed nice and dry. They started to wonder if Wilson had taken appropriate equipment for rain. He was smart, but when he got emotional he had a tendency to forget things. They started to walk faster towards their destination, their walk becoming a sprint. They still didn’t know what to say, would it be acceptable to say nothing? If they kept him company, would that be enough? 

They arrived at the location of the ex mini camp, recognizing the remains of the firepit that they themselves had destroyed. They looked around but saw no one. Their shoulders slumped, they didn’t know where to go next. They kicked a rock forcefully into a small boulder nearby, creating a crack in it. They were standing in the rain looking for an emotional scientist because… they didn’t even know why. Why were they here? 

“Why are you here?” sounded off a familiar voice nearby. Wx-78 turned to find the scientist taking shelter under a tree, they had passed by and hadn’t even noticed. If he hadn’t had said anything they might not have seen him at all. Wx was about to open their mouth when their vision went white, a lightning strike. The thunder followed, and they felt dizzy, but not the same as before. They shook their head, Wilson had gotten up and was looking at them with concern. They held their head then walked over to the tree Wilson was under.

“IT IS OKAY. I HAVE A HAT.” they said. Wilson looked at their hat and nodded.

“Ah.” he said, and leaned on the tree again. Wx-78 looked at him awkwardly and then at the tree.

“WHERE IS YOUR UMBRELLA?” they asked.

“I ...forgot it. I wasn’t thinking.” he said quietly.

“I IMAGINED.” they said, going into their inventory and handing Wilson a raincoat and rainboots. Wilson took them and gave Wx a soft look.

“Thank you.” he said, putting them on and giving a small sigh of relief.

“I ONLY HAD ENOUGH SPARE MATERIAL TO CRAFT THIS UMBRELLA. BUT WE CAN WALK BACK TO THE BASE TOGETHER. IF IT HELPS.” they said, holding the umbrella up. Wilson looked down at them, he looked tired. He nodded. Stepping close to Wx, they handed him the handle of the umbrella since he was taller. He took it and stepped out of the tree. Wx-78 stared at his arm as they walked close to him. He looked at them curiously. They fidgeted with their wrist coupling and slowly linked their arm with Wilson’s, allowing the two to walk more comfortably under the umbrella. Wilson said nothing, but he didn’t give eye contact either. 

Wx-78 looked back at the remains of Wilson’s ex retreat, they hadn’t needed to destroy it... They gripped Wilson’s arm and looked up at him. He was looking away and didn’t notice. The two walked in the rain, comfortable enough in their rain gear. Wx balled their fist up and tugged at Wilson to stop.

He stopped and stared at them as they balled and unballed their fist, looking away from Wilson. The rain beat gently down on the umbrella, softer now as the downpour was coming to a close. 

“I CARE.” they said suddenly. Wilson raised his eyebrows. “I DO CARE.” they continued. This was all they said before they continued to ball and unball their fist. Wilson looked down at them, keeping his gaze fixated on them until they finally looked up at him. 

“About?” he asked. 

“YOU.” they said quietly, the most quiet that Wilson had ever heard them be. They had a blush on their face and couldn’t look Wilson in the eyes. Wilson looked dumbfounded, he started to giggle. They looked up at him with a hurt and offended expression.

“You like me.” he said, giving a weak smile to Wx. They blushed and pouted.

“NO. I JUST SAID I CARE ABOUT YOU, TH-THAT’S DIFFERENT.” they gripped Wilson’s arm in protest.

“You enjoy my company, you went to find me in the rain, you like me!” Wilson said in a sing-song voice. 

“YOU WENT TO FIND ME IN THE SNOW, AND YOU SAY YOURSELF YOU’RE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT ME.” they smirked, as if they one-upped him.

“That’s true. But I already said I’m in love with you, so that’s normal isn’t it?” he said, smiling down at them. They blushed and gripped Wilson’s arm.

“I-I CAN’T… I MEAN. I DON’T KNOW, ABOUT.” they began, stuttering and shakily gripping Wilson’s arm.

“It’s okay.” Wilson said. They looked up at him. “Knowing you care about me is enough, I don’t need you to do things the way I do. But will you allow me to love you?” he asked, scratching the back of his head. Wx-78 nodded, reaching up and poking Wilson’s nose playfully. 

“IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, I TOLD YOU I WOULD DRIVE YOU MAD.” they grinned. Wilson laughed and leaned on them, kissing the top of their head. They blushed and beamed a smile up at Wilson, it was one of the best things he’s ever seen.

“I don’t know, I feel I’m being driven happy right about now.” he nudged them. Wx-78 grimaced.

“THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE.” they said, but laughed along with him anyways. The two continued to walk. Realizing it wasn’t raining anymore, Wilson closed the umbrella and held it in his other hand. Birds sang and the flowers looked brighter than ever. 

“Wow, with all the rain I forget how beautiful Spring can be.” Wilson mused. Wx rolled their eyes.

“IT HAS CERTAIN QUALITIES THAT ARE LIKEABLE.” they said, nuzzling on Wilson’s arm. Wilson smiled as the two walked slowly, enjoying each other’s company. Wx-78 looked up and stared at him until he noticed them and looked down curiously. 

“Yes?” he asked.

“CAN I CALL YOU WILSON?” they asked. Wilson looked shocked, he blinked.

“Considering that is my name, yes.” he said. They nodded.

“OK, WILSON.” they said, grinning a bit. Wilson watched them and continued to look dumbfounded.

“I honestly thought you didn’t remember anyone’s names, and that’s why you had nicknames for all of us.” he laughed. Wx-78 scoffed.

“DON’T BE A FOOL, I’M AN UNFETTERED GENIUS. I REMEMBER ALL OF THE SURVIVORS’ NAMES. I JUST DON’T CARE.” they said triumphantly. Wilson rolled his eyes. “BUT I CARE ABOUT YOU, LIKE I FINISHED SAYING, NOT LONG AGO. SO.” they said, stuttering a bit. Wilson smiled again, he felt his cheeks getting tired from smiling so much. 

“Hey.” he said, getting Wx’s attention. “I don’t want to push you, but I just want to know… if it was my fault. The lightning…” he said. Wx-78 took a deep breath and sighed.

“YOUR MODULE DID NOT MAKE IT BETTER OR WORSE, GETTING STRUCK CONFUSES ME. EVERY EMOTION AND FEELING I HAVE LEARNED HAPPENS ALL AT ONCE. I DO NOT FEEL LIKE MYSELF WHEN STRUCK.” they said, gripping Wilson’s arm for comfort. Wilson nodded. They continued to talk, “I WAS SCARED.” they said. Wilson looked at them sadly. 

“Of?” he asked.

“YOU.” they confirmed what he had already been suspecting.

“Oh…” he said sadly. 

“I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON FROM THE PAST, BUT IT STILL HURTS TO THINK ABOUT.” they said. Wilson nodded as he listened. “I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN, SO I PUSHED YOU AWAY BEFORE IT COULD HAPPEN.” they said. Wilson’s eyes widened and he looked down at Wx sadly before he stopped the two from walking. Wx-78 looked up at Wilson as the two had stopped, the wind blowing a cold front of air by them. Wilson shivered. “MY BEHAVIOR PUSHED YOU AWAY. BUT I HAVE NOT CHANGED. YOU’RE A FOOL TO LOVE ME.” they started to say. Wilson reached up and gently held Wx’s face in his hands, they were warm, soft. 

“I was foolish not to notice your progress. Not to accept your differences. If I had a problem I should have told you. I was afraid too, I didn’t want to end up in another situation where I was just being hurt by someone who told me they cared.” he said, rubbing Wx’s face with his thumb. They looked at him frantically.

“I-I’M SORRY, I WASN’T TRYING TO-” they began. Wilson shook his head.

“What if we agree that we both made some mistakes? I’d also like to move on from the past.” he said, leaning his forehead gently on the automatons. They blushed and nodded, looking into Wilson’s eyes. 

“YOU… YOU WON’T LEAVE AGAIN?” they asked quietly, sounding vulnerable. Wilson shook his head.

“No, unless of course you leave first.” he said, sounding suspicious of them. They laughed and grinned.

“I COULD LEAVE RIGHT NOW.” they teased. Wilson held their arm steady as it was intertwined with his. He reached down and held their hand.

“I don’t think so.” he teased back. Wx-78 stared down at their intertwined fingers, they blushed and stuttered. 

“W-WHAT ARE YOU D-DOING?” they asked, continuing to stutter.

“Holding your hand?” he said, noticing Wx’s blush and wide eyes, “Oh wow you’re really embarrassed by this aren’t you? That’s so adorable.” he grinned. They pouted.

“WE’RE GOING TO BE AT THE CAMP SOON, AREN’T YOU WORRIED THEY WILL ALL SEE?” they asked, side-eyeing him. He laughed. 

“Let them see.” he said with confidence. Wx-78’s eyes widened, they blushed lightly and gripped Wilson’s hand. The camp was coming up soon, and the two continued to hold hands, Wilson leaned on Wx-78. They looked up at him warmly, leaning on him as the two walked into the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAH i bet y'all were scared I wasn't gonna make this a happy ending, AS IF!!! 
> 
> also
> 
> the epilogue chapter has a Lot of smut so be warned lmfao   
> Thank you all for reading!


	20. LOVE. Love. (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring has come and with it a closeness blossomed. Wilson and Wx are going out now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT WARNING, SERIOUS SMUT WARNING. MINORS SHOULDN'T BE HERE ANYWAYS BUT I'M GIVING EVERYONE EXTRA WARNING NOW!

It was starting to get hot, the looming threat of the blazing summer sun was upon them. The survivors had all started preparing to camp in the caves in groups soon. This was, in Wilson’s opinion, the best part of Spring, since the days were longer and the nights were short, he could get more done in the light of the sun. The only downside is that he couldn’t cuddle his partner while they slept as long as he’d like. He felt smooth metallic hands slip around his shoulders as he rummaged through his storage chest. He looked behind him and smiled.

“PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE FOR THE MOVE. EXCEPT YOUR STUPID WORKSTATION, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE TOOLS YOU KEEP SAYING YOU NEED?” Wx-78 asked, annoyed. 

“Well, I did want to install the new part on you.” he said with a smirk.

“OH, BUT THE FIRST ONE WORKS WELL.” they said with a blush, nuzzling Wilson. Wilson smiled.

“Yes, well this one is more like uhm,” he cleared his throat, “it’s more similar to mine, which means…” 

“IT MEANS I WILL BE ABLE TO ‘RAIL YOU,’ AS YOU SAY TO ME.” they grinned. Wilson blushed wildly and flicked the robot’s forehead. 

“We are outside! Lower your voice, damn you.” he laughed. Wx-78 grinned and held their mouth on Wilson’s cheek, giving him a kiss. Wilson turned his head and kissed Wx, he was about to turn his head when Wx reached up and grabbed his cheeks, keeping their eye contact. Wilson gulped. “...Now?” he asked. Wx nodded. “B-but we should probably leave soon before it gets dark…” he tried to reason. 

“I DON’T CARE.” Wx said, reaching under Wilson’s shirt and rubbing their hands on his chest. Wilson yelped. “I just think if we don’t prepare everything soon then Summer will surprise us and-” he started before getting cut off by Wx-78 pushing him down to the ground and immediately grinding on his hips. Wilson moaned then covered his own mouth, he blushed. “W-Wx! We’re in public!” they rolled their eyes.

“OH MY GOD, WILSON. EVERYONE ELSE ALREADY LEFT BECAUSE YOU TAKE SO LONG TO PREPARE, LIKE ALWAYS. WE’RE  _ ALONE _ .” they said, exasperatedly.

Wilson looked around, the camp was completely empty save for the two of them. He blushed. 

“Oh.”

Wx-78 leaned down and pressed their mouth up against Wilson’s, flicking their tongue against his in a kiss. They slipped their hand under his pants and fondled his balls, much to his surprise. They grinned against the kiss and pulled at his hardening dick. Wilson moaned and reached up, caressing their face, they held one of his hands and kissed it before crawling down Wilson and pulling down his pants. He giggled a bit and placed a hand lovingly on their head. Wilson’s dick jumped out of his pants, fully erect. Wx-78 looked up at him teasingly. He continued to giggle as they cupped their mouth over it, licking up the sides of his shaft. He shivered and gripped the top of their head, throwing his head back with pleasure. Wx gripped his thighs and dug into them, this only excited Wilson more and he shut his eyes as he panted. He whined. “D-don’t do all of it… I want to enter you, please?” he asked. Wx smirked.

“YOU CRAVE ME SO BADLY, PATHETIC FREAK.” they smirked, sitting on Wilson’s hips and gripping his arms. 

“Guilty.” he said, smirking back at them. He sat up and kissed Wx, putting his hands on their arms and pushing back on them. They were obviously stronger than him, but they liked to let him lead at times. He reached into his pocket and grabbed one of his electric rods, turning it on and rubbing it against Wx’s chest. They inhaled sharply and looked up at Wilson lovingly as he used his other hand to hold one of theirs. 

“Open up for me?” he asked. They used their free hand to unscrew the bolts from their chassis, opening up, the gears turning quickly as Wx’s thoughts ran wild in this moment. Wilson gripped Wx’s hand as he held it and brought the rod into Wx’s chassis. He wrapped a wire he knew was particularly sensitive around it. Wx arched their back and hissed, it did hurt a little, but it mostly felt amazing. He continued to wrap the electric rod around some of the other wires until it was nestled neatly in their chassis. They squirmed and panted, their voice box glitching out as they moaned. Wilson had started to love that sound, and it was also an easy way to make them quieter in case anyone else WAS around. He used his freed hand to unbolt two new screws on the sides of Wx’s crotch plate. Upon removing the initial plate there was smoother metal under it, leading into an opening made of slick rubber and elastic. Wx spread their legs and gripped Wilson’s held hand tightly. The low voltage on the electric rod in between their most sensitive wires sent waves of pleasure throughout their whole body, but not enough to send them over the edge, and Wilson was taking his sweet time. They sucked their teeth aggravatedly.

“Aww, is someone getting a little antsy?” Wilson asked, grinning cheekily. Wx-78 groaned.

“H-HURRY UP!” they squeezed Wilson’s hand in protest. Wilson chuckled and reached into his belongings, taking out a homemade lubricant, safe on sensitive areas, and poured some on Wx’s opening. They gasped at the cool lubricant running down it, and looked down at Wilson. He took his free hand and slid his fingers around the opening, lubricating the outside of it. Wx twitched a bit. Wilson smiled then squeezed his fingers inside swirling them around to make sure the entire opening was coated with the lubricant. Wx-78 moaned louder, squeezing Wilson’s hand. Wilson’s hand started to hurt so he let go of Wx’s hand, they whined a bit but didn’t think much of it. Using both free hands he held Wx’s thighs, spreading their legs and kissing directly around their opening. They gasped and panted loudly, though it sounded more like static at this point. Wilson felt his dick twitch with anticipation and he crawled up on them. Their eyes were looking away from Wilson so they didn’t notice. He gripped his shaft and maneuvered it into the opening, it was a tight squeeze but it stretched. Wx-78’s voice box broke as they gasped, going silent as they tried to protest Wilson not giving them a warning. Wilson laughed loudly and flicked at the electric rod currently resting in their chassis. Their voice came back suddenly.

“-MORE WARNING NEXT TIME!” they shouted. They had a deep blush on their face as they laid under Wilson. He held their face lovingly. 

“Sorry, I just really like when your voice box stops working. I could use the peace and quiet.” he teased.

“YOU WON’T SHUT ME UP THAT EASILY-” they began before Wilson gripped their thighs and thrust very suddenly into Wx’s opening. They moaned and squeezed their eyes shut. 

“You were saying?” Wilson grinned. They pouted and growled at him. He continued to thrust into them, panting and gripping at the soft ground around them. They wrapped their legs around him as their back arched.

“W-WILSON…” they moaned his name as he bucked his hips and smiled. They gripped at their own chest and squirmed under him. 

“Mmm...” he whispered, leaning close to them as he continued. They reached up and intertwined their fingers in his hair, gripping it with every thrust. 

“WILSON!!” they cried out, squeezing their eyes shut and struggling to keep the feeling of pleasure from bubbling over.

“J-Just a little longer.” Wilson said desperately holding their arms at their sides as he rammed into them. They whimpered, gripping Wilson and moaning loudly, they panted and arched their back. They twitched as a rush of ecstasy filled their whole body, their chassis sparking a bit. Wilson continued to thrust, but he looked strained. He reached up to their chassis and took the electric rod out from between their wires. Gripping their thighs he pulled his dick out, ejaculating on the ground near them. There was obviously no danger of baby making, but cleaning a small rubber opening full of cum was harder than it seemed. He panted, sweat all over him as he caught his breath. Wx-78 put their parts back together and reached a hand up towards Wilson’s face. Wilson turned his head and kissed their hand over and over. They smiled and held their arms apart. Wilson laid down on them and they wrapped their arms around him. The two embraced for a few minutes. He looked at the sky, the sun was starting to set. 

“W-We should probably get going soon.” he said as he put his clothes back on and got up, his knees a little wobbly. Wx-78 grinned as they helped him up. They went to their shared tent to grab the heavier items and left the lighter things for Wilson. Wilson went to his work station to gather what he wanted to take with him in an easy to carry toolbox. He clipped the toolbox to the bag Wx-78 brought out for him.

“WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER TOOL YOU WANTED TO GIVE ME?” they asked. 

“Oh don’t worry, it can be uh, installed, pretty much anywhere.” he said. They tilted their head and shrugged. They held their hand out for Wilson and he took it graciously. The two started to walk towards the cave entrance.

“DID YOU REMEMBER TO TURN ON ALL THE ICE FLINGERS?” they asked. 

“Yes, they’re all on, and we’re all taking turns to check up on the fuel remember?” 

“IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE THAT THE FIRESTARTER COULDN’T JUST AGREE TO DO IT ALONE SINCE SHE DOES NOT OVERHEAT EASILY.” 

“Well it wouldn’t be very fair to her, even if it is easier. She did volunteer to do it 2 days of the week rather than just the 1 like everyone else.” 

“AND WHY DO THE CHILDREN NOT HAVE TO? JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE SMALL? I’M SMALL.” they huffed.

“You’re short, it’s not the same thing.” Wilson said. They rolled their eyes. Wilson looked at his map of the caves, Wx peeking over his shoulder. The survivors had all had a meeting about two weeks prior to discuss the groups and where each would go, he looked at the spot that he had circled. “Ok, once we head in we have to walk south, we’ll probably pass by Winona, Wigfrid, and Willow’s tent, if you want to say hi.” Wilson said, putting the map back in his pocket. 

“VERY WELL.” they said, leaning on Wilson as the two walked. They reached the cave entrance and Wx helped Wilson down, they put their headlamps on and walked south. They continued to hold hands, idly chatting before they noticed a light up ahead. It looked like Willow and Winona were already setting up their camp. They noticed Wilson and Wx and waved excitedly. Willow went up to Wilson and held his hand in hers, bouncing a bit. 

“Hello you two, where’s Wigfrid?” asked Wilson.

“Getting a bit more meat from up top before she meets us down here.” Winona said. 

“Oh isn’t this exciting? This is the first year we decided to do separate groups!” Willow squealed.

“After the disaster last time with all those depth worms and bunny men? I’ll be thankful to lay low for the summer.” Wilson said with a laugh.

“THOSE DEPTH WORMS HAD NO CHANCE. IF ONLY SOMEONE HADN’T GRABBED THE MEAT AND GOTTEN THE BUNNYMEN ANGRY, UGH.” Wx said disappointed. The three stared curiously at them.

“Wasn’t that you?” Winona asked. Wx blinked.

“WELL. LESSONS WERE LEARNED.” they said, blushing. The other three laughed.

“Anyways we got a lot to do, and so do you if you want to set up camp before Summer comes. Stay safe, and remember to come running if somethin’ happens to your camp.” Winona said, patting Wx’s back. The two waved as they went off to their destination. They leaned on each other and held hands as the caves ambient noise surrounded them. At one point Wilson leaned down and gave Wx a kiss in the dark. They playfully hit his arm and nuzzled on him. 

Reaching their destination, they started to set up. The two worked well as a team, Wx respecting Wilson’s intellect enough to let him dictate where things should be placed. He had knowledge of item placement within a limited space due to the time he had spent in his small cottage. They had set up their tent, storage, a cooking area, and firepit with seating for relaxation, they only had to worry about the food. Wilson sighed as it had taken them quite a bit to set everything up. 

“Wanna relax?” he asked, Wx nodded, taking out some jerky from the fridge and nibbling on it. The two entered their tent and laid down on the fur roll, they faced each other and cuddled closely. Wilson blushed remembering earlier and reached up to hold Wx’s face. They looked at him curiously.

“WHAT IS IT?” they asked. Wilson smiled shyly. He rubbed his thumb over Wx’s cheek.

“W-Well… remember how I said that the part I wanted to install is actually really easy to install..?” he asked them. They nodded, and looked at him suspiciously. “Do you want to… try it?” he asked. 

“IF IT REALLY IS READY, YES.” they said, perking up. Wilson lit up and exited the tent for a moment, Wx could hear him rustling around in his toolbox before he entered the tent again with a phallic looking object wrapped up in a cloth.

“I have to figure out how to make this more portable, and possibly retractable since it can only be carried in its current state but I’m not entirely sure that you want to be carrying around a metal cock on your person.” he said, musing. Wx blinked.

“WHAT.” they said, before Wilson took the cloth off the phallic object to reveal a rather lavish looking, and large, cock made of metal and plated gold, with a flat metal end. Wx-78 blinked and looked at it in awe. They blushed. “YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE, PERCIVAL.” they teased. Wilson blushed and instructed them to lay on their back. 

“It’s basically made to insert into your current opening, fixing into place. The sensations get redirected there instead.” he said, releasing Wx’s crotch plate and inserting the flat part into their opening. They winced a bit, as they did still feel it and it kind of hurt, but once it clicked into place it was like they couldn’t feel the opening anymore. They blinked. 

“IS IT WORKING?” they asked, poking the large object. They flinched. “OH. IT IS.” Wilson blushed looking at them and fidgeted with his vest. Wx beckoned Wilson over, he obliged and looked at them shyly. Wx spread their legs and sat Wilson on their hips, their dick resting behind his ass. They reached their hands up and rubbed at Wilson’s chest, unbuttoning his vest and shirt. They nuzzled and kissed it, leaving little sparks all across. Wilson flinched and giggled, leaning forward and kissing the top of their head. Wx laid Wilson down on his back and removed his pants once more. They massaged his thighs, noticing his already very hard cock. They raised an eyebrow. Wilson blushed. 

“What!” he huffed.

“I’M FLATTERED.” they smirked. Wilson blushed again, biting his lip, he handed Wx the lubricant that he had on him. They blinked in surprise. “...ALREADY?” 

“Yes, please.” Wilson said, confirming that he wanted to be rammed in the ass. “Y-you remember how I showed you, right?” 

“YOU ONLY HAVE ONE HOLE DOWN HERE, WILSON. I THINK I CAN FIGURE IT OUT.” they said sarcastically. Wilson huffed. Wx turned Wilson onto his stomach, Wilson held his face in embarrassment. They lubricated Wilson’s ass, rubbing their lubed fingers into Wilson’s starfish, as they had done many times before. Wilson flinched and moaned, he bit his lip. They put more lubricant all over his ass, rubbing it all over while they fingered him, he covered his face in embarrassment. 

“Y-you’re teasing me!” he said, huffing. 

“MMMMAYBE.” they grinned, then shuffled closer to him, poking his anus with the tip of the metal member. Wx grabbed Wilson’s cheeks, spreading them apart and slowly working the cock into his ass. Wilson shivered and panted, gritting his teeth. It was pretty big, he might have been a little horny when he originally designed it. Wx-78 held Wilson’s face.

“ARE YOU OKAY?” they asked. Wilson nodded. “GOOD. CAUSE I’M NOT HOLDING BACK.” they said with a grin. Wilson gulped. 

\---

“I feel like my ass just got attacked.” Wilson said, holding his ass as he sat on a hammock with Wx cuddling next to him.

“IT DID. BY ME.” Wx grinned, their arm around him. The two had already gotten cleaned up and were now relaxing by a fire, the hammock being held up by two trees growing underground. Wx-78 stared at Wilson, a soft look on their face.

“What is it?” Wilson asked, holding his lover’s face. 

“CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING? IT’S A SECRET.” they batted their eyelids innocently. Wilson squinted at them.

“Yes…” he said, unsure. They leaned in close to him.

“I LOVE YOU.” they said, looking at Wilson with a smile. Wilson blushed deeply.

“W-What?” he asked, making sure he heard right.

“NOTHING.” Wx said with a grin, they got up and off the hammock, walking towards the ice box to get something to eat. Wilson followed them.

“Come on, what did you say? I just want to make sure I heard correctly.” he pleaded.

“MMM, JUST THAT I LOVE YOU.” they said with a blush. Wilson beamed and reached around Wx’s waist, holding them lovingly.

“Hah, just wait until I tell everyone, this is going to be so embarrassing for you.” he teased, kissing their cheek. Wx-78 turned around and held Wilson’s face, they grinned and stuck their tongue out at him.

“NO ONE WILL BELIEVE YOU.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and keeping up with the updates <333 I have more wxson fics planned but I got really fixated on this one for some reason and couldnt stop writing it, hope you all enjoyed it!


End file.
